The Asbury Park Planning Board recently voted to approve a 67-unit mixed-use development near the Carousel Building amid the threat of legal action against it and its members.
During the board’s meeting on June 1, professionals representing APW Redeveloper LLC and Asbury Partners LLC presented an updated proposal for the 1.96-acre triangular lot at 320 Asbury Avenue. The applicant has gone through numerous iterations of the project since it began attempting to redevelop the lot in 2022, going so far as to reduce the overall footprint of the project to levels well below what is allowed in the neighborhood’s zoning.
While the first few minutes of the meeting were relatively procedural, things quickly heated up when Jeffrey Beekman, the board’s counsel, stated that he had advised board member Daniel Sciannameo to recuse himself after comments Sciannameo made during a city council meeting in March.
Sciannameo said he had made the comments as a private citizen about the failure of Asbury Partners and Madison Marquette to restore several historic buildings along the city’s boardwalk.
Beekman said that Jennifer Phillips Smith, the attorney representing the applicant, submitted a letter requesting the recusal, and that after reviewing the recording of the city council meeting, he had suggested that Sciannameo voluntarily recuse himself.
Sciannameo read a prepared statement into the record before recusing himself, stating that he had received a letter from the board counsel and counsel for the applicant regarding his comments during the city council meeting on March 25.
“Absent my voluntary recusal, the master developer has threatened to sue the board,” he said, adding that he has never voted against any of the projects proposed by Asbury Partners and its affiliated entities, and that he did not make any comments as a planning board official during the city council meeting in March.
“I find my recusal to be endemic of what seems to be commonplace in this county: powerful entities using bullying tactics to squash free speech they do not like,” he said before recusing himself to a standing ovation from members of the public.
Asbury Park Mayor John Moor also voluntarily recused himself.
“This is not in any way a negative stance against Mr. Beekman or his decision or any board members,” Moor said. “A decision had to be made. I simply disagreed with it.
“Because I do not agree that he should be forced to step aside tonight, I will stand with him, and I will step aside. I ask the rest of the board to conduct your usual fair and honest review of the application and make your decision.”
Phillips Smith said the applicant has never asked anyone to recuse themselves before, but that this situation is different. She added that the applicant is not trying to silence people or tell them they cannot have opinions, which drew some laughs from members of the public, before returning to describe the merits of the application.
The attorney said the applicant opted not to revise the plans presented to the board in April; however, the applicant committed to implementing several largely cosmetic changes proposed as part of the resolution compliance.
Jersey Digs reported in April that the applicant intends to build a five-story apartment building with 50 units along Asbury Avenue, a three-story building with eight residential units and 5,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space at the confluence of Cookman and Asbury avenues, and a four-story building with nine townhouses on the south side of the parcel along Cookman Avenue.
The developer also requested numerous design waivers due to the site’s shape, the building’s design, and how the buildings are to be constructed.
When the board opened the hearing to public comments, members of the public largely voiced opposition to the project, citing its aesthetics and the developer behind the application, for more than an hour. Some members also spoke in support of Sciannameo in light of his voluntary recusal.
Despite the contentious 2.25-hour meeting, the board voted to approve the application 4-3. Board members Jim Henry, Jennifer Souder and Kathryn McLaughlin voted against the proposal, while Chairwoman Barbara Krzak, Vice Chair Michael Goonan, Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton and Board Member James Bonanno voted in favor before the meeting was adjourned.
