Belmar Council to Vote on Major Settlement Agreement with Developers

BELMAR, NJ — At the upcoming council meeting on Tuesday, July 23, the Borough of Belmar will consider a pivotal resolution to approve proposed settlement agreements with multiple developers (As of 9pm on Sunday, the resolution itself was not available on the borough website where the other resolutions are posted). This situation arises from a lawsuit initiated by the borough in March 2023.

Joseph Baumann Jr., Belmar’s redevelopment and affordable housing counsel, recently discussed the borough's affordable housing requirement of 96 units at a council meeting. This number may be reduced to 84, since 12 existing affordable housing units are not currently accounted for in the borough. Given the 20% ratio of affordable to market-rate housing, this could lead to hundreds of new housing units.

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Previous statements from Baumann have not clarified the roles of the planning board or the council as the redevelopment authority in overseeing individual projects under the settlement agreements. Additionally, infrastructure improvements, which are typically funded by developers through negotiated agreements with the council, may become the financial responsibility of borough taxpayers.

The council is scheduled to vote on this resolution following an executive session and a workshop session on the topic.  The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 PM on Tuesday, July 23, at the Council Chambers, located at 601 Main St.

This decision could have significant implications for the future of Belmar's housing and development landscape, making it a critical point of interest for residents and stakeholders.

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