Meeting starts at 6 pm.
Application to Zoning Board click here
Architectural Plans click here
Engineering Plans click here
Zoning Board Agenda for July 27, 2021 – Belmar Inn Condos
Welcome to The Belmar Blog
Welcome to The Belmar Blog
Meeting starts at 6 pm.
Application to Zoning Board click here
Architectural Plans click here
Engineering Plans click here
Fritz may need a pet chiropractor.
Knock it down and build 4 $2 million CONFORMING houses. Stop the greed. Go invest in Jersey City or Hoboken, where everyone wants to live in apartments. You know as soon as they push this through they will turn their plan into apartments (glorified rooming house).
Gee, where are all the people who wanted all the new buildings to be built West of Main Street ? See how things come right around ? Anyone who thinks that we are not turning into Little Long Branch needs to think again.
#2 Absolutely an above average correct statement.
I like it! Much better than the ‘hole there now.
Spot on #2. Once the high-rise buildings go up, they keep going up, all over town.
The proposed BIG BOX Development would shade existing solar renewable energy panels and raise JCP&L electric rates.
This proposal was presented 3 years ago and has now been revised. I’ve done a lot of research on this project and spoken with several people, and wanted to share what I have found. After reading, please see the link to our petition at the end of this letter.
On a personal note, my family has been residents of 12th Avenue for 70 years, and we are not part of the redevelopment group. We have absolutely no financial interest in the redevelopment of the Belmar Inn. Our only interest is to improve 12th Avenue and Belmar, which will lead to a safer and better quality of life for our neighborhood. To demonstrate my family’s commitment and confidence in the future of Belmar and 12th Avenue, we have recently demolished our home, which was over 100 years old, and constructed a new home on the same site, which is across the street from the Belmar Inn.
1. The 40 room Belmar Inn and an 11 room three-unit Animal house on the east side of the Belmar Inn (108 and 108 1⁄2 12th Ave) would be replaced with 24 condominiums. This would change occupancy of the grounds from approximately 130 transient people plus staff to approximately 50 permanent residents. This would be very positive for 12th Avenue and Belmar.
2. There are currently no parking spaces for the Belmar Inn, even though 40 are required. The new building will have 2 parking spaces for each unit. There will be surface parking on the first level behind wood garage doors in the front, and parking in the back of the building with a 6’ fence surrounding it. The Belmar Inn’s current height is 41’. The proposed building has a flat roof and a height of 42.5’ (very little difference) with a rooftop amenity area.
3. The developer has been a Belmar resident and a Belmar business owner for a long time and has assisted Belmar redevelopment for the last 25 years. He first proposed 24 units on the 100’ by 140’ Belmar Inn lot in 2018. After hearing the concerns/comments of the community and neighbors during the application process, he invested and purchased, at considerable cost, the lot next to the Belmar Inn so he could better address some of these issues. The lot size will now be 150’ by 140’, but the unit count remains at the original 24 units, even though this has increased his costs. With the design of the new building, the setbacks became significantly better for all neighbors, the parking increased from 24 to 47 spaces, and the overall project was redesigned to be less modern and more classic.
4. The Belmar Inn is a huge demand on the Borough’s emergency services (fire, police, ambulance, COVID). There are 100+ emergency calls to the Belmar Inn each year consisting of, among others, injuries, drug overdoses, suicides/mental/emotional problems, and drunkenness. The condo project will get rid of a rooming house, and an Animal house and its occupants that currently drain on the community. The new condos would have little to no demand on emergency services.
5. In 2020 the Belmar Inn paid $31,203 in taxes, and 108 12th Ave paid $10,570, for a total of $41,773. The 24 condo owners will each pay their own taxes and the developer is not asking the city for any tax discounts. If the taxes for each unit are $9000 that would be $216,000 in taxes, adding $174,227 in tax revenue to the Borough every year. Since this additional tax revenue will be coming from the Condominiums into the Borough, this will help stabilize all homeowner’s taxes.
6. The cost incurred in purchasing the land and building of the Belmar Inn, along with the 3 units at 108/108 1⁄2 12th Ave., in addition to the thriving cash flow the Belmar Inn produces, does not make it economically viable to build single family houses and/or townhouses on the site. Since 2008, there has been a conditional amendment to the zoning which permitted the building of townhomes on this property, however no builder has found it financially feasible to pursue this type of project. That is why there has never before been an offer to buy the Belmar Inn. All other hotels in Belmar which have been purchased and demolished, or burned down, were replaced with condos or apartments. Condos are permissible in Belmar if the zoning board approves them. That is the purpose of the meeting on July 27. If this project gets approved, it sets no precedent to build condos all over town. Each project requesting variances stands alone based on its own merits and benefits for review by the board. The Belmar Zoning Board of Adjustment controls growth, and would not establish a broad policy that applies to all condominium applications.
7. For this project, there will be condo bylaws that will not allow owners to rent their units as seasonal, weekly or daily rentals. The bylaws will also forbid residents to hang anything outside of their units, may limit pet size and number thereof, and may require consistent balcony furniture in all units.
8. The color of the proposed building is Belmar Sand. All utilities for the building will be underground. There is currently no control for stormwater runoff at the Belmar Inn and 108 12th Ave., but the new building will have stormwater runoff drains piped directly into the storm sewers.
9. The Belmar Inn was shut down in 2018 due to fire hazards and did the bare minimum needed to bring it up to code. Since the building is so old, many of the code regulations are grandfathered and therefore the building is still a large fire hazard.
10. If this project does not get approved, the developers’ option to purchase the Belmar Inn would expire, the current ownership will remain in place, and the Belmar Inn and all the Animal houses on the block will stay as is. The Government now pays the Belmar Inn owners to provide Section 8 housing, and in addition the Government is currently looking for housing for drug dependent people in rehab and sexual offenders recently released from imprisonment. This is a once in a generation opportunity to rid 12th Ave. of the Belmar Inn.
11. If this project is approved by the Belmar Zoning Board of Adjustment, it will encourage the elimination of nine Animal houses that currently exist on 12th Ave. between Ocean Ave. and B St. Last summer there were almost 20 summonses issued by Belmar police to these houses and the Belmar Inn, probably more than any other single avenue in Belmar. The residents of 12th Ave. are sick and tired of the screaming, cursing, trashing, noise and harassment from the occupants of the Belmar Inn and the Animal houses. Please help us!
If you are a Belmar resident in favor of the demolition of the Belmar Inn and the construction of the new condos please go to https://bit.ly/BelmarInnCondoProject to sign our petition, which will be presented at the Belmar Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting to demonstrate the support of Belmar residents. Your name and address will NOT be disclosed to protect your privacy. We need to show support for this project to get it passed by the Belmar Zoning Board of Adjustment.
Thank you Sherri, for your very detailed and informative post, much appreciated.
Investors greed. Everyone wants to see the Belmar Inn go. Replace with limited number of townhomes or 6 condos. They will sell for a lot of money. No need for this application in a residential neighborhood.
#10—Do you even know the costs involved to purchase these now TWO non-conforming uses on 12th avenue, the cost to demo and building costs???????????? Doesnt seem like you did your research.
If it was a greedy developer then why would they invest more into the project by purchasing the additional lot (which is also a multi family animal house) to make setbacks and the project better and not even adding any units to the project if you notice it was a 24 units back in 2018 and 24 units proposed now, the only differences now is it includes a whole other lot.
#11- I guess you just got sucked into a gimmick by the greedy builder to try to persuade you to allow something to be built that is against zoning laws. Big deal buying an extra lot. I bet you’re also one of those people that complain about D’Jais non-sense but still go out to their FREE locals nite buffet and drinks at the end of the summer. Sucker.
The property is only worth what it was intended for. So here’s how it works. You figure out what you can legally build on the lot. Say 4 houses. You decide what the best home would be to build on that lot for maximum profit. Let’s say four $2mill. homes. Now let’s say it costs you $750k to build one house. Let’s just say the property is worth $4 mill. Cost of all homes is $7 mill. You sell all four for $8 mill. You just made $1 mill.
All these greedy people, builders, lawyers and property owners want to start out with an inflated value of the property, change and twist the zoning laws and pocket cash.
That my friend is called GREED.
10 spot on!!
11 you are clueless
Belnar Inn adverts on Airbnb. What a joke and hematoma eye(politically correct) for legit Belmar Airbnb listings. The lodgings in that “joint” are paid for by all taxpayers and those welfare payments paid by Belmar and Monmouth County each week aren’t a joke. The former inner city hypocrites that try to flex their muscles against cleaning up the drugs, misadventures, deaths that they used to live with in JC really show their true colors. Keeping the Heroin Inn on the block takes the heat off other houses of cards.
#8… petition the Zoning Board to continue meetings via ZOOM to maximize resident participation
#12 if it is so easy to make a million dollars why don’t you do it, you are clueless with your numbers you are not buying just land it’s also a business and it’s a business that the town and neighbors want it to go away so that also raises the cost as for greed I guess you don’t believe in capitalism.
Sounds like the Heroin Inn lovers want Socialism to overtake Belmar. Next pitchforks to run capitalism out of town
Developers investment and profit or loss have NOTHING to do with this application. Who cares that they invested millions, that’s on them. #8, it sounds like Eden before that whole apple thing.
Ugly ugly ugly, build that crap in Long Branch, or maybe Avon lol.
#17 ignorance is a darkness that will eventually blind you completely. Socialism? Do you have a reference book next to you called ‘buzz words to use when losing an argument’? So asking that the developers follow the zoning laws is running capitalism out of town? Haha. Time for a civics lesson and perhaps a dose of self inspection.
This is about meeting existing zoning laws. That’s it. Surely you are for law and order, yes? Or only when it suits you personally?
#18 absolutely correct. #17- take notes. If they invested millions into this and wind up losing money due to adherence to existing laws? THAT is capitalism. The government stepping in to allow them to break the law so that they don’t lose money, THAT’S the socialism you pretend to understand.
#8- That is a very detailed and well thought out break down of the situation.
And you are right about all those things.
My problem with this whole thing is that the current owners of the Belmar Inn get rewarded for bad behavior. They are literally going to get millions based on the fact that they are such bad neighbors that we are willing to throw away the zoning laws that govern this town simply because we all want them gone. That’s a very dangerous precedent. They should be held to the same standard we all are. If they are breaking laws they should be fined to eyeballs or shut down permanently. Not rewarded with millions just so they’ll go away. How about the town does it’s job and makes the Belmar Inn follow the rules. Then the owners will be forced to either clean up their act, or sell for reasonable market price to a builder that doesn’t need to build twenty four condos in a four story to make money.
Having said that, I see where you are coming from and agree with your assessment.
Heard the buzz that Biden wants to federalize zoning to reduce the building of single family homes and increase the building of “affordable housing”? At least people BUY condos.
Having “skin in the game” is not necessarily a negative thing.
He and Kami are Turning Office Bldgs into Affordable, Subsidized housing.
#21- You are spot on.
#22 The buzz? If by buzz you mean BS, then I only heard it from your post. There are so many things wrong with what you said that I don’t know where to begin. The POTUS doesn’t make laws, you know that right? That’s what congress does. Also, states would never allow such a proposal (if the proposal existed, which it does not). The only people talking about converting office space into residential space are large commercial property holders and real estate developers. Mostly wealthy. Probably mostly Republican. But if they can get financial assistance from the federal gov’t, they’ll happily accept. That’s my guess. Cause right now they need tenants.
No one is saying having skin in the game is a bad thing. Skin in the game means that it’s your investment win or lose. And if you can’t build this monstrosity and have to build normal zone conforming single family homes, we’ll thats that. It’s called risk for a reason.
#27 Inform coherent, trusty Joe about the reality of zoning, real estate, government authority, etc. I did not vote for the flip-flop POTUS.
#27 C’mon, man! Where will all those undocumented people, about 200,000 per month since Biden opened the borders, going to live? In taxpayer funded housing, that’s where. Maybe some have family here, but, c’mon, man, that is rather doubtful. The Biden folks are just building a potential base who will vote for the Democratic party who will feed and house them. Get ready for the big restructuring of American society, a leveling toward mediocrity.
#24. My administration never allowed an increase in the number of rooms at the Belmar Inn. And if you’re going to make up stuff, try picking an issue that’s not so easy to fact check. According to Expedia.com, “The Belmar Inn offers 34 air-conditioned accommodations with complimentary toiletries. Each accommodation is individually furnished. Cable television is provided.”
Can’t you just see all your relatives lining up to stay in the Belmar Inn for their vacation on your recommendation?
#28,#29 hahaha. Unplug the internet, turn off newsmax and go for a walk outside. The election is over. Your guy lost. I’m sorry, I know you’re hurt and upset but life goes on. If you hate this country so much, you should move. Canada seems very nice. In the meantime keep on fearing that your way of life is somehow in jeopardy. I know, I know, when the ‘big restructuring of American society’ happens, I’ll be sorry. Time to change the record fellas, People who live in fear have been saying that about this country for 200 years. Lend a hand or get out of the way.
#29- Currently those undocumented immigrants live in multi family houses owned by white out of town slum lords. Not government funded houses.
Are you mad at the land lords? Or just the brown people that pay them rent. Yea, I thought so.
Open your eyes next time you walk through town or go out to dinner- check out who’s mowing, building, painting. Look at the person who replaced your bread, clearing your table, and washing your plates. Maybe some of your hatred will disappear. Maybe not.
Why I became a conservative: have tried to communicate with too many flaming, bleeding-heart liberals who can’t see beyond their noses. And who cannot read and twist everything to agree with what they believe. Anyway, I have stated my points and will just watch and see, fearlessly and objectively.
Why are there comments on this thread that have nothing to do with the original post? Can’t the moderator refuse those comments as not relevant? It takes away from those of us who are interested in the original post.
Thank you for your comment and interest in the Blog. Comments and Conversations that wander off-topic will happen, are often interesting, and are usually not rejected.
#32: be very careful; your unkind recommendations suggesting anyone, regardless of citizenship, exit the USA for Countries without the Trump Vaccine is very risky.
#34 you’ll watch fiercely I have no doubt. Objectively? I don’t think that is possible. Objectivity isn’t something you appear to possess. I can read just fine btw, and I don’t feel ‘flaming’. Is that one of your objective terms? Haha
#37- hmmm. I’m trying to piece together your comment. I can’t find any of those words you used in my post. Weird.
To clear things up: the person I was responding to was disparaging the US. I responded to his/her criticism by saying ‘if you don’t like this country, you should leave’. I was being ironic. You see on conservative media they are constantly telling people to leave the country. As if exercising first amendment rights or criticizing government policies, or protesting, are somehow anti-American. I was merely pointing out how incredibly hypocritical it is to say that to someone. I’m sorry you didn’t understand that. You’ll get me next time.
I tried and tried but did not recognize that anyone was disparaging the U.S., only pointing out how the present Democratic agenda includes increasing the population by an open border, inviting people who will inevitably, in huge part, become dependent on a welfare state. The matter of housing rides on that, public subsidized housing. A condo on 12th Avenue may or may not be a good idea, but a haven for druggies may exist because the market for the product exists in the area. “Let’s Twist Again” – please, no.
#40 So the people that disparage a Republican administration ‘hate this country’ and should leave. But people that disparage a Democrat administration are only pointing out problems in the agenda. Ok got it. And here I thought that we were beyond hypocrisy. It’s alive and well.
Yes, Belmar Inn bad, condo good. But asking the government to intercede in order to help someone get more money sounds a little like socialism to me. I always thought that having the government step in to pick winners and losers was anathema to capitalism. No? It’s a topsy turvy world we live in. Next you’ll be telling me that right wing pundits are mocking police officers for being attacked by a mob. Noooo they wouldn’t do that! Haha. The kool aid flows like wine.
Before some woke person disparages Chubby and Fats for being anti-fat people, I will say that party politics stinks and distorts the common sense of people who prefer to mouth policies of parties without examining the real histories, meanings and results of what they claim to support and what is really going on presently. No one can claim to know what is in any one’s mind and how they think or are fearful or full of hate. If it feels good to make someone else presumably feel bad, well, that is an ego issue. I remain happily unaffiliated. Want urbanization in Belmar? Think about it. BTW, NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard. But, I am just one person. Peace out.
Thanks. We all know what NIMBY means.
just provide enough off street parking and i”m in
Miss Sherri, #1 you are not a resident of Belmar, you live in Colorado and do not vote here. #2 your parents do not reside here. They live in Hawaii and do not vote here. No need to read your 1000 word letter.