The planning board for the city of Asbury Park recently agreed to postpone a vote on a mixed-use development that would bring townhouses, apartments, and commercial space to a triangular lot near Wesley Lake.
Professionals working on behalf of the applicant, APW Redeveloper LLC, and Asbury Partners LLC, presented a plan for three different buildings at the 1.96-acre lot at 320 Asbury Avenue on April 6. They proposed a five-story apartment building with 50 units along Asbury Avenue, a second building spanning three stories that includes eight residential units and 5,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space at the confluence of Cookman and Asbury avenues, and a third building consisting of four stories that would house nine townhouses with garages on the south side of the parcel along Cookman Avenue.
Documents made public by the city’s planning board show that the developers are also proposing off-street parking at the ground level of both multifamily buildings. There is also a 24-car lot along the western edge of the site, including five spaces for electric vehicles.
The attorney, architect, and planner testifying before the board explained that the developer has requested more than 10 construction waivers from the planning board due to the site’s shape, the building’s design, and how the buildings are to be constructed.
The three-hour meeting on April 6 was the second time the professionals went before the board to submit testimony about the application. The meeting was relatively calm, but there was a slight bit of tension when one of the project’s architects, Frank Minervini, a principal at MVMK Architecture, went back and forth with members of the board over the site itself, what the board wants to see on the site, and how the project could add to the existing neighborhood.
Members of the board and residents asked Minervini whether the color palette and facade of the mixed-use building could be updated to match those of the buildings in the area.
“I am waiting to be inspired… we deserve better,” Daniel Sciannameo said during Minervini’s testimony. “This looks like medical offices.”
Another member of the board in particular, Jim Henry, asked Minervini several times how the site and the developer could do more for the proposed project to serve as more of a transition between the beachside amenities to the east of the site — including the Ocean Avenue Boardwalk, the Casino Building, the Carousel Building and the Asbury Park Steam Plant — and the apartments and condominiums to the west of the property.
The project site is located north of the Wesley Grove Condominiums, and the recently opened Asbury Park by Toll Brothers residential complex fronting Wesley Lake. The Vive Condominium and Phillips Seaview Tower are located to the north of the project site, while K. Hovanian’s The Cove townhouse complex is located just west of the project site. The project site itself, Henry added, is one of the last undeveloped parcels near the waterfront on this side of the city.
Jennifer Phillips Smith, an attorney working with FTB Gibbons representing the applicant, countered that this project has been before the planning board since 2022. The new proposal, including its color scheme, the construction materials, and even the types of windows, is the result of many years of discussions with the planning board, city council, and city residents, she said.
But despite the proposed project being only four stories tall at its highest point — well below what the city’s own zoning laws allow for this parcel — members of the board insisted that they wanted to see the site do more for the existing neighborhood.
The board asked that several parts of the project be modified before taking a vote. The application was carried to June 1st.
While the project has been in the works for at least four years, the applicant, Asbury Partners, has been working to redevelop another parcel just down the street, next to the Empress Hotel. Jersey Digs reported earlier this year that Phillips Smith, who at the time was working on behalf of an affiliate of Asbury Partners, went before the city council in late March to present a redevelopment plan for the private parking lot at 110 1st Avenue. That project includes a five-story parking deck, apartments, and infrastructure upgrades to the flood management system at Wesley Lake, but the city council has not finalized a redevelopment agreement with the applicant.
While the planning board may ultimately choose to approve or reject the site plan application for the Asbury Avenue site in June, there is little doubt that the project will remain a contentious issue between city residents and the developer. The immediate area surrounding the site is dotted with new and existing condominiums and townhouses priced well above half a million dollars, and there are numerous community amenities, including historic buildings and the boardwalk. This suggests that the site’s future will require a balancing act between economic realities and the concerns of city and county residents.
