Somers Point council adopts redevelopment ordinance, tables appraisal amid developer interest

Somers Point — The Somers Point City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 20, accepting a redevelopment plan covering portions of Maryland Avenue, Bay Avenue and Pleasant Avenue, after the council accepted a Planning & Zoning memorandum finding the plan consistent with the city master plan.

The council moved quickly from public comment into a roll-call acceptance of the planning board memorandum and then voted to adopt the ordinance. A member of the public had asked whether the project would include commercial uses and whether the proposed homes — roughly 28 feet wide with about 2,000 square feet of buildable area and 4-foot setbacks, according to a resident’s reading of the plan — would present access issues for fire apparatus. The city planner said those details will be resolved during site-plan review and that the fire department review will follow.

Council also approved several resolutions authorizing executive sessions related to redevelopment and litigation. Resolution 280 authorized an attorney-client executive-session discussion related to a tax-abatement application from LVH LLC at 101 East Maryland Avenue. Resolution 290 authorized executive-session advice regarding a possible redevelopment agreement with Route 152 Partners and Somers Point Paddle Club LLC tied to the same project area.

A separate resolution (291) to authorize the business administrator to contract with David Niers for an appraisal of a city parcel drew the sharpest debate. The resolution text mentions that representatives of Exler Building Solutions LLC had discussed interest in the property. Several council members questioned why city taxpayers would pay for an appraisal when an interested developer was identified, and whether the developer should instead bear the cost or whether the city should proceed to a formal bid or sale process. One council member asked whether advancing the appraisal now was "putting the cart before the horse."

After discussion, a council member moved to table Resolution 291; the motion was seconded and approved. The council recorded the tabling with a voice vote.

The council said it will move into executive session at the end of the meeting for the matters authorized in the adopted resolutions, and indicated there may be action taken when it reconvenes.