Point Beach Asks Point Boro to Slow Down

Some on Point Beach council are asking Point Borough to think twice before making a move that could make waterfront development a little easier.

The Point Beach council voted at a 4 p.m. Tuesday meeting at to urge Point Borough council to wait on an ordinance that would make it easier for development to take place in the Clark's Landing area on the Manasquan River.

However, Point Beach Councilmen Tim Lurie and Stephen Reid voted no, after a few Bay Head and Point Borough residents asked the council to join them in opposing the Borough's ordinance amendment.

Point Borough Council will discuss the matter at its 7 p.m. meeting tonight at

Reid said, after a few Point Borough and Bay Head residents asked the Point Beach council to urge the Borough to wait, that he considered the matter to be Point Borough's to handle.

"I appreciate our neighbors from Bay Head and Point Borough coming here. But I don't think we should get involved in this issue at all. I vote no," Reid said.

Lurie did not give a reason during the meeting. However, after the meeting, when asked why he voted no, he said he did not think it was necessary to voice opposition to the Borough's ordinance amendment since it only removes one layer of approvals in an involved process.

Like Point Borough Councilman Chris Leitner, Lurie noted that Clark's Landing, which wants to build a second banquet hall, and marinas, which sometimes want to make improvements, still need approval from the Borough Planning Board and CAFRA (Coastal Area Facility Review Act), which is regulated by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP),

"It's a process it goes through," Lurie said. "Traffic impacts and environmental issues will all be addressed in the approval process."

"Maybe development there would be a good project for the area because once they go to CAFRA, CAFRA will want water quality measures in the stormwater management plan to make the river better," he said. "To nip this in the bud now is stopping the community from possibly having another ratable to lower their tax rate and possibly making it a more environmentally sound area."

Also, given that Clark's Landing is on Arnold Avenue, owned by Ocean County, the county would also be involved in the application and approval process, Lurie said.

Mayor Vincent Barrella did not vote because he only votes when there is a tie. However, he said the matter was placed on the agenda because Clark's Landing is so close to Point Beach and there is also concern from Mayor William Curtis of neighboring Bay Head, who had written a letter to the Borough in strong opposition of the ordinance amendment.

Barrella said he would text Point Borough Mayor William Schroeder to let him know the council passed the resolution urging the Borough to wait and he also asked Borough Administrator Christine Riehl to send the resolution to the municipal offices in Point Borough and Bay Head.

The resolution passed by the Point Beach council notes that "several taxpayers" of Point Beach own property near the waterfront commercial zone, including Clark's Landing.

And, the resolution continues, "higher density use of the Clark's Landing property may engender a significant amount of additional traffic on Arnold and possibly Lincoln Avenues which presents concerns regarding potential safety, noise and quality of life issues....."

Therefore, the resolution continues, Point Beach council "does hereby urge the Point Pleasant governing body to stay action on adoption of said ordinance....until the effects of the change on Arnold Avenue and surrounding properties can be evaluated and be it resolved that the Point Pleasant Beach governing body does hereby support Bay Head Mayor Wiliam Curtis in his assertion that a 'cooling off' period to look more closely at the consequences of passing this legislation would serve all communities."