Atlantic City Council Faces Criticism. Stockton District & Chelsea Beach Bar

Notes from Atlantic City Council Meeting. July 18. 2018.

  • Atlantic City Council faces backlash about Stockton University District plans
  • Chelsea Beach Bar violations
  • Boardwalk noise pollution.

Residents wonder why AC City Council meetings are not held 2x per month. A complicated city of this size really needs 2 per month. Council President Small thinks 1x per month is good enough. Most believe Small needs to change his mind. Go back to 2x per month.

Local Atlantic City, non-casino businesses should pay more attention. A growing concern/fear that small biz could once again get short end of the stick.

Boardwalk noise pollution. Casinos blaring commercials from their Boardwalk sound systems. Impactivate Boardwalk screens add to non-stop commercials that fight for your attention every few feet. A constant attack on your auditory nerve.

Marty Small’s Big Word of the Day: Copious. Adjective. Abundant in supply or quantity. Ex: “Marty shared copious amount of snacks with Council”

Sounds like the infamous Chelsea Beach Bar is still not acting neighborly. Not following the rules? Residents asked Council why Chelsea Beach Bar management blocked off beach access. Created private beach area. Total disregard for Chelsea neighborhood families.

Chelsea Beach Bar in violation of Atlantic City Beach contract?

Action: OCEAN CLUB CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION INC. VS CITY OF ATLANTIC CITY, ET ALS.

Extra-loud music til 4am also places Chelsea Beach Bar in potential breach of their agreement. Atty Anthony Swann was asked if Chelsea Beach Bar was in breach of the contract. Swann responded that he knows the answer to that, but didn’t want to share it during public comment. Note: Person who signed that Chelsea Beach Bar deal, is no longer here. That would likely be someone from the State? Seems like Council is too afraid to mention that person’s name in public.

Learn more about the Chelsea Beach Bar, Mayor Frank Gilliam and CRDA beach deal.

Watch this video to refresh your memory. STATE & CRDA plays major role in beach projects.

Stockton District. Another chunk of control taken away from Atlantic City.

A college zone? Residents told council they’re being kept in the dark. Surprised that City Council was ready to vote on the 2nd and final reading.

ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 163. IMPLEMENT THE UNIVERSITY DISTRICT OVERLAY ZONING DISTRICT.

Atlantic City to be virtually divided into 3 cities. Tourism, Stockton, and all the rest. The Mayor and AC Council have lost control of another city asset.

Stockton District Atlantic City
New Stockton District

Atlantic City’s City Council on July 18 approved the designation of a new University District surrounding the new Stockton University Atlantic City campus.

The designation is intended to promote investment and development in academic and related uses within the boundaries of the district. Stockton is in the process of developing signage that will help identify the district. The university will also participate in promoting the district for private investment.

Who’s in charge? City Council, CRDA, DCA, State, Stockton?

Atlantic City Mayor Gilliam says this isn’t eminent domain.

Gilliam: The letter that went out was not from municipality of AC. ‘We were not aware.’ Official public meetings not held?

Gilliam: Mistake was made without authorization. Gilliam reminds all again, that public input is job one. Apologize for angst. Doesn’t want to harm residents & business.

Marty Small: Extensive Email chains that notified residents? Community meetings?

Residents ping-ponged back and forth between agencies. No real accountability. Plausible deniability from Mayor Gilliam and Council President Small.

Kool Mo Dee Delgado atlantic city
Councilman Delgado Not Familiar With Stockton COO and District Details.

Councilman Mo Delgado didn’t know who drew up the proposed Stockton District map. Stockton COO Brian Jackson said Stockton University made those decisions.

Mo thinks the Stockton ‘overlay’ map picks & chooses prime AC property. State, Stockton and Casinos slowly acquiring best parts of Atlantic City. Locals left with less desirable parcels.

Delgado made connection to ‘casino district’ designation that left bad taste in residents mouth.

Councilman Delgado was unaware that 50 acres of Bader Field was part of this Stockton designation, suggesting that some elected leadership were either kept in the dark, or they weren’t paying attention. (see video)

City Council has virtually no control over the Casino & Tourism District. Soon, City Council will also be neutered inside the Stockton District.

Only in AC. Kool Mo Dee never met Brian Jackson. That’s not a good sign. Brian is about to become one of Atlantic City most powerful leaders. The COO of Stockton AC.

Mo never heard his name before? Are ya kidding me? This is why the State of NJ is strategically gaining control of Atlantic City’s best assets.

  • Casino & Tourism District
  • Beach and ocean
  • Fishing & waterways
  • Stockton District
  • Gardners Basin
  • AC Stadium & Bader Field parcels

Brian Jackson suggests that beautiful Stockton signage will help stimulate Atlantic City’s economy

Stockton pays the City a PILOT. Fixed payments. Just like the casinos. In effect, average AC taxpayers will have to take up the slack when more monies are needed. Casinos & Stockton are protected from future tax hikes.

Eminent domain may not be valid, but experts note that other laws, statutes and ordinances can effectively accomplish the same thing as eminent domain.

Levy new special tax or fee? Like SID? Not yet.

Citizen Linda Brennan wants the city to close down the ‘drug infested house’ on the beach block. Needle exchanges. Tennessee Ave problems.

Linda Kammerer: Resident of Ocean Club. A whole area of the Chelsea beach was roped off. Couldn’t use it unless you rented umbrellas from that Chelsea Beach Bar vendor. Claims that State / CRDA did deal that provided some kind of beach ‘privatization’.

Residents may want to contact CRDA Zoning Czar Lance Landgraf for details. Landgraf plays major role in projects like these.

Councilman Marty Small admits Chelsea Beach Bar needs to be a good neighbor. Confusion of the 27 page contract. City did not create contract, but City still has obligation. ‘We were not aware what was going on.’ Small claims he supported Ocean Club residents ‘all the way’. Not so, says local residents. Council has been seriously deficient in protecting best interest of local taxpayers & residents.

Second and final reading? That’s news to most residents. Shocked is a better way to describe it. Council was ready to vote on allowing Stockton to create a ‘university district’ with it’s own set of rules and allowances. Confusion all around. Brian Miranda of Wonder Bar is confused too. Like most in this neighborhood, he wants more detail before the vote.

This July 18, 2018 Council meeting may force residents to consider forming a taxpayers association. An organization that solely represents taxpayers. Three minutes in front of council is obviously not enough. Something with more teeth is needed. Residents are sensing things are actually getting worse. No idea who controls what. A game of cat and mouse.

In other Stockton news, trustees approved a tuition hike which will add $335 to the cost of attending the university.

 

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