In December 2008 the borough made an offer to buy a 1.02-acre waterfront property (Robard’s property) on the Navesink River at the end of DeNormandie Avenue for a price of $1,217,500 in cash, notes and bonds, plus the costs and responsibility for tearing down the house on the property, removing the underground oil tank, providing buffer fencing and shrubbery for neighboring properties, and paying for any related expenses for professionals and fees. This property would be used for a “passive” park.

When this proposed purchase was finally revealed to the public without specific details in June 2009, the administration wanted approval to proceed by the July 2009 council meeting.

Traffic (DeNormandie Avenue is very narrow) and other details of the park were not immediately available and were requested by neighbors/residents/taxpayers — one of which was for a stop sign to be placed at the corner of Clay Street and DeNormandie Avenue, which was promptly installed.

The council also agreed that unless substantial grants were obtained, they would withdraw the offer to purchase. At the following council meeting, Councilman Jon Peters amended that resolution so that the purchase would go ahead, regardless of any grants and loans obtained, at taxpayers’ expense.

This passive park would be open from sunrise to sunset, and there would be no on-street parking other than possibly for handicapped persons, no restrooms, nor organized public gatherings or entertainment, ball games or permanent structural facilities (except for a bike rack and benches), and no boat launching. Any parking would be at the municipal lot on River Road two blocks away.

The contract to purchase this property was not executed until January 2010, more than a year after the initial offer to buy, during which time the real estate market continued to decline and the usable size of the property was reduced to .69 acres — yet, even in light of this, the mayor (an attorney with a real estate practice) and council did not make any attempt to negotiate a lower purchase price as is commonly done when there is a material change in a property being purchased.

What is wrong with this picture?

The residents/taxpayers of Fair Haven are being done a disservice by the administration’s purchase of this property under current and ongoing economic conditions — the loss of value of the property, the questionable ability of access, upkeep and maintenance costs, hazard liability associated with waterfront, etc. The cost of the property versus the benefits (mostly to the adjacent neighborhood) is not good.

The purchase of the property isn’t final. There’s still time to contact the mayor and council members, either at home or through Borough Hall (732-747-0241), to urge them to either not purchase this property or to renegotiate and reduce the purchase price substantially. In my opinion, to do otherwise is a gross disservice and failure of fiscal responsibility to Fair Haven taxpayers.
R. Blaser
Fair Haven