SOMERS POINT — City Council is about to get a cash windfall and has the rare opportunity to decide where to spend it.
The city is about to receive a check for $200,000 from the developer of luxury waterfront condominiums at 90 Broadway.
As part of a redevelopment agreement reached with John Wolfington and Dan Metzler of Exceler Building Solutions LLC, the city is to receive the funds in lieu of Exceler providing access to the water on its property fronting Great Egg Harbor Bay, where plans call for 23 townhouses and two single-family homes. The state Department of Environmental Protection agreed to the deal with the developer.
The development requires an affordable housing element, which the agreement stipulates will be satisfied by a group home for developmentally disabled adults on Cleveland Avenue, an issue that has caused a lot of dissent from neighbors.
Councilman Sean McGuigan said May 14 that part of the money ($30,000) would be used at the adjacent John F. Kennedy Memorial Park but that the lion’s share ($170,000) would be used for the nature trails proposed off DeFeo Lane.
McGuigan said he had received correspondence from the engineer for the developer stating that they are making the application to the DEP, and the DEP requires a letter from the city that it will accept the funds. He said the money could be in the city’s purse within 30 days of receiving the letter.
The same night, City Council awarded a $133,450 contract to Capela Construction of Medford Lakes for work at JFK, which will include fencing at the playground and a path to get from the playground to the restroom.
City Council applied for Green Acres Park Development Grants to undertake the work at DeFeo Lane.
Engineer Greg Schneider said previously that the city is looking to spend about $233,000 on the trail next to the old sewage treatment plant.
The work includes parking, trail signage, mulch, landscaping to screen the public works area, some fencing, trash and recycling receptacles and a viewing platform overlooking Patcong Creek.
Schneider said the environmental impact should be minor, since no trees would be disturbed. He noted the need for a permit to construct the viewing platform because it would be in a wetlands area.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff