BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer
LONG BRANCH – The City Council was expected to meet in closed executive session last Wednesday to discuss redevelopment plans for the Broadway Gateway zone.
A public notice of the meeting was issued at the May 23 council meeting that said the purpose of the “special” meeting would be for council to adopt “a resolution to enter into executive/closed session regarding redevelopment matters.”
The Rev. Kevin Brown, who resides in the downtown Broadway redevelopment zone, asked the council, “What will qualify this as an executive session, where the public will not be able to participate and not be able to attend?”
Council President Anthony Giordano said the meeting will be in executive session because “there is information that one developer would not want another developer to know.”
“I do not know how familiar you are with the public advocate’s report,” Brown said. “But one thing he addressed is transparency.”
The report, “Reforming the Use of Eminent Domain for Private Redevelopment in New Jersey,” was released by the Department of the Public Advocate on May 18.
Reforms recommended by Public Advocate Ronald K. Chen include making the redevelopment process ” transparent” by having open meetings and allowing community members to participate in the redevelopment process.
“I think it would be good for Long Branch to take a step and move toward transparency early on,” Brown said.
“Obviously, to me,” Brown said to the mayor and council, “You have not become more sensitive to your community.”
The Public Advocate’s report has been forwarded to Gov. Jon S. Corzine and the Legislature for review.
Also at the meeting, residents in the Beachfront North Phase II redevelopment zone, known as MTOTSA (Marine and Ocean Terraces and Seaview Avenue) said they are going to continue the fight to save their homes from eminent domain.
The 36 properties in MTOTSA are slated to be taken by eminent domain, razed and replaced by luxury condominiums.
“I talk to you guys all the time about liberty and freedom of choice,” said Bill Giordano, a member of the MTOTSA alliance. “[MTOTSA] comes to this council and we ask and we plead for you to give us this liberty.”
Giordano held up pictures he took of his neighborhood and said he uses the pictures to play a game with his son.
“There are the I-Spy books where you have to find different things,” Giordano said. “Well I gave my son these pictures and said ‘Find the blight.’ “
“I can’t find the blight,” Giordano continued. “I don’t know council, I showed you the pictures. You see the children. You see the gardens. This is a good viable neighborhood.”
“The council has the power to stop this,” Giordano said. “There is no reason for this neighborhood to be destroyed. You should stop this.”

