Town took back Traders Cove promise, lawsuit says
Mayor defends decision to go with private developer for marina
BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer

BRICK TOWNSHIP - Township officials should have gone out to bid for a redeveloper for the Traders Cove site, said the attorney who represents the environmental group Save Barnegat Bay.

"The current administrationworkedwith SaveBarnegatBay to the result of acquiring this property," attorney Michelle Donato said. "The issue I findmost bothersome is the fact that the township is trying tomake this dealwithout public bidding, and that's really not acceptable."

Save Barnegat Bay (SBB) filed suit against the TownshipCouncil on Jan. 11 asking that the township's redevelopment plan for Traders Cove be invalidated.

State law allows a municipality to sell property for redevelopment only if the property "can no longer be used advantageously" for the reason itwas acquired, the suit states.

But that is not the case with Traders Cove, which was supposed to be used as a public waterfront park and marina, according to a 2005 court settlement between a developer who wanted to put up condominiums, the township and SBB, the suit states.

Save Barnegat Bay signed over its rights to the property when the township closed on the site in December 2005, with the understanding that the townshipwould design and develop a public park and a public marina, the lawsuit states.

But last year council members voted to declare the site "an area in need of redevelopment." The township is now in negotiations with a private developer who wants to put up amarina.

Township officials never indicated to SBB that they were considering a private forprofitmarina, according to the lawsuit.

Wewere in partial ownership of the property," Donato said. "We transferred our legal rights to the township. They have a legal obligation. They proceeded on the redevelopment without consulting us.

Mayor StephenC.Acropolis has vowed to conduct a "vigorous defense" of the redevelopment plan.

"We stopped the building of a massive condominiumproject on that site," themayor said. "Had we failed, there would be zero access to that area for our residents. Now we have a plan that provides access, a quality ratable, a park, a future maritime museum and somuchmore."

Acropolis said his first responsibility is to the taxpayers - "not somebody from Mantoloking, Bay Head or Point Pleasant."

ButDonato said the vastmajority of Save Barnegat Bay'smembers live in Brick.

"To say Save Barnegat Bay should stay out of it ismisplaced," she said. "We are taxpayers too. To saywe are interlopers is really blinding the relationship that has existed since 1981."

I would hate for this to deteriorate into a public relations battle," Donato added. "I think everybody should take a deep breath and continue to try and come to a solution that allows for reasonable use of the property."