Dear Friends,
The citizens group Fairness in Taxes is petitioning to stop the city’s purchase of the former car dealership lot next to the Community Center until the public can vote on it. FIT members came to the City Council meeting last night and argued that they agree with the purchase but not the price.
I want to remind everybody that, in the end, we all share the same goal in acquiring this piece of property. I urge everybody to keep this in mind and to be respectful of each other. But I want everybody to be aware of the facts:
· The price on the table is $9 million.
· This appropriation has been approved by City Council after two public meetings.
· The city already has received informal offers from developers to flip the property.
· Taking this property by eminent domain will not lower the price. It could cost us even more.
· The suggestion by FIT members that the property is worth $6 million is false. This appears to be based on an arbitrary number created by FIT members who are not professional real estate appraisers.
· The suggestion by FIT members that the property cannot be developed with coastal cottages is also false.
· The city tried to block this type of development but lost in court when a judge ruled that an application for this site was submitted before the permitted use was eliminated.
· The development of this property will not wait for a special election.
I remain certain that if this petition is successful, it will effectively kill the deal. Jerry Klause, one of the owners of the property, knows correctly that he has the court-ordered right to develop the lots with coastal cottages and that he believes he can make more money by doing so. Instead, he hopes to see the lot preserved for public use. Please don’t be misled by incorrect information. This remains a great and rare opportunity to protect an entire city block from more residential development.
The north end drainage project contractor paved Fifth Street this week. Weather permitting, crews will base-pave Third Street starting Monday and continue work between Second Street and Fifth Street during 10-hour days Monday through Thursday.
The completion of Fifth Street comes in time for Saturday’s Bike MS: City to Shore Ride. The riders will come into town again this year on the Ninth Street Bridge and use Bay Avenue to Fifth Street to reach the traditional finish line at the boardwalk parking lot at end of Fifth Street. Lane closings and detours will be in effect starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday (Sept. 28).
Ocean City also will be host to the OCNJ Half Marathon on Sunday, and the Ocean City-Longport Bridge will be closed from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. to accommodate a field of more than 1,000 runners.
I thank you in advance for your patience during these events. If possible, plan alternative routes to avoid delays and to help provide a safe route for these event participants. I also hope you’ll welcome these thousands of cyclists and runners during their stay in Ocean City.
Warm regards,
Mayor Jay A. Gillian
