Eminent Domain Option To Be Explored By Belmar Council

BELMAR, NJ – During Tuesday night’s Belmar council meeting, an ordinance was introduced to give the borough permission to acquire the former Belmar First Aid Squad property through eminent domain if needed.

The borough council has been negotiating with the first aid squad for the right to purchase the building. Still, the borough was not happy with certain deed restrictions placed upon the potential purchase, giving the borough council no alternative but to go forward with this ordinance.

In a letter from BFAS attorney and former Belmar mayor Kenneth Pringle to borough attorney Jerry Dasti sent on Monday and posted on the BFAS website, Pringle said that the borough would not accept the deed restrictions placed by the BFAS as the borough would like to make the building the singular hub for the Belmar Fire Department.

Since that seemed to be the plan from the start, according to Pringle, the BFAS is no longer willing to sell to the borough as the renovation needs to house six fire trucks and two ambulances would have on the surrounding neighborhood.

“It is now apparent that the Borough submitted its Certification in bad faith,” Pringle’s letter states.

“The BFAS is hereby withdrawing its offer to sell the property to the Borough of Belmar and will contest any effort to condemn the property.”