I think the town should stick to the original plan. The hotel and retail space will do great, just look at the on across from the Home Depot on 70. Building more condos will eventually become another Maple Leaf, and we dont need that. Now that they are building 200 units behind shoprite, that enough. I cant believe the traffic study stated the condos was the best method.

NO! No CONDOS, NO HOMES, NO RENTALS. Do we all have to start the petitions again and do what we did with the Ice Palace? Do we have to all get together again and stop this before it starts? Let me know, I will be the first to sign it!

Mantaloking road is a much better place for a Motel since we already have the approvals to build 44 rooms. It is closer to the beach and the only B -3 zone available.

retail or commercial ratable only...no more condos or apartments

Wake up taxpayers and take the saw dust out of your heads the banks aren't lending money for hotels because it is a bad risk.

After reading the article its seems like the new council president and the Mayor are working together. Its a nice change for Brick.

I heard Bob Menendez is looking for a new place to meet underage hookers. Maybe he can build a brothel?

Might as well just knock down all the trees, clear all the land, and just keep building. Lets fill up everything with buildings.

Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, and Kmart are all in trouble and each are going to close hundreds of stores in the next couple of years. Do not build more stores (or condos) in Brick.

Forgot to mention Walmart entering the food market business. They expect to gross 2.5 million per week. Now Brick will be faced with the possiblility of food stores closing also. Who on the planning board allowed this?

NO TAXES FOR ANOTHER 12 YEARS,WHAT A JOKE.

Moore is a dummy.
He wants to see blueprints?? LMAO
Who cares what the details are when they had drawings of what the building would look like, layout, etc.... and the marketing survey said, it would not breakeven!!!
So what you may know how to look at HVAC prints.... you don't know how to make money in the venture which is a risk.
Don't know what the answer is but doubtful high-end condo or hotel will work there.
I don't know why everyone is against a shopping center there because that is what all the surveys said would do well.

We have enough strip malls cluttering downtown and creating a traffic nightmare. Want to do something everyone in town can enjoy? Then put a nice park there. Do something to actually make brick look nice for once.

I swear it seems everyone is hellbent on making sure not a single tree is left standing in this town. The downtown area already looks like a giant eyesore due to the overdevelopment.

Sadly it appears to be that no one cares about brick being a nice town anymore. It's just some land everyone wants to squeeze every single penny out of.

Lets look at the reality of this. First right now there are tons of homes and condos in the Brick that aren't selling, some, have been on the market for over a year or more and they're in nice neighborhoods at decent prices, Now your telling me someone is going to come in, build "luxury" condos in the $350,000 range on a busy, noisy, crowded, smelly highway? Someone is going to buy a condo on a piece of property that the logistics for getting in and out of said property is a nightmare, always has been and the biggest factor in why all of the businesses that have been on that property have gone out of business! OK so some of the property is on water, a shallow lake that the only boat you can have is a rowboat or a small Boston Whaler, no access to the Metedeconk unless your craft fits under the RT 70 bridges. Yeah count me in to spend $350,000 for that! The property was bought by the town under dubious reasons in the first place, The best idea for the property is a park, a natural park. We already own it, keeping it for an open space for future generations would be ideal. Screw the ratables and this whole Condo. Apartment business, we all know what it's really going to be, SECTION 8 housing, maybe not built for that purpose, but that's whats going to happen. This town is "city" enough, time to start preserving open land for the future of Brick, do we really have to pave over every square inch of this town?

before building another store/ or homes condos Lets fill the ones that are empty now ... way to may business closed & homes that are foreclosed & only going to get worse as people stop paying mortgages & rents on building that are unusable after the storm... regardless at this point ,after 3 months the damage is done& to many businesses lost to much that will never be able to re open, Not to mention all the homes that people shortly will be foreclosed on.

They will even throw in a red light camera , right outside your driveway for your morning commute. What more could any in debt servitude want.

There have been many good points made in the past week or so here on the Patch beginning with the article that appeared concerning the condo project. In my opinion a condo project would be a disaster, Who would buy a 900 sq. foot condo on Rt, 70 for $300,000 when you can buy a decent house in Brick for that $? A large shopping plaza along the lines of the Costco one doesn't make sense either. Jim made a good point that with possible Best Buy and K-Mart closures, Walmart's unfortunate expansion into groceries that will probably be the last nail in the coffin for Pathmark (and possibly A&P) and all the existing vacant storefronts, who needs more retail space. How about considering a mixed use development with a small hotel/ banquet facility, small non- national chain retailers and restaurants and a township owned public park and gardens?

You need a blueprint for what they will eventually build there? Go to Lakewood. These will not be condos, they will be tenements. Do the math. Deadbeat landlords(from Lakewood) will rent their property to anyone(preferably Section 8) and Brick High School and Lake Riv. will have to bear the brunt of the additional students. Do you think the developer gives two $hits? They want to make as much money as they can.

With 4 teenagers & have lived here for over 15 years I truly would love to see a indoor water park ( like the one in Cherry hill & Pa, great wolf lodge ) I understand the traffic nightmare ( but unless that area gets enlarged) its going to be a nightmare anyway.
I think that a year round entertainment would do great around here. It will give something for us to do with our kids year round ( a stay- cation) It will bring jobs to the area focusing on a teen/ young adults working ( other then fast food & boardwalk that are going to be limited this year & are only seasonal jobs) It will also bring revue to our town for summer entertainment instead of going to Point or Seaside ( maybe? ) It will be a great escape in the summer when its to hot for the beach or raining... & something Great for us to enjoy during school breaks

Its the place for a passive park

The residents of this town deserve an open public forum on this matter. I'm not talking about one council meeting or two. I'm talking about a Saturday, 4 hour presentation, discussion and questions and answers. The meeting should be held at the Brick Township High School in the auditorium so many resident could attend.

Everyone needs to get educated and have a public discusion on this. In the end the people should decide, even if it means a "non binding" referendum at the appropriate time.

This must be a transparent discusion. I expect the Mayor and Council to do what's best in the interest of the public. Anything short of that is a disgrace to the office of an elected official and that official should be removed from office.

Put anything there that will bring in the highest tax revenue with the lowest township expenditures. This town is in big fiscal trouble. How many thousands of homes are now paying lower property taxes due to the hurricane. This money needs to be made up somehow.

Give it bk to nature. Stop building!!!!!!!!!

The mayor and his cronies tried to slip the Ocean Ice Palace by the residents. A petition was raised and it thwarted that scam(it would have become a family business at the taxpayers expense). Keep an eye on this newest scam. BTW, whatever happened to that trailer with the banner showing the builders idea for the property? You remember that don't you? The one that appeared two weeks before election day. Sorta like the razing of FoodTown two weeks before election day a few years before. BTW, who got paid and by whom for that?

Vin well said.

Put in another strip mall. We could use another strip mall :-)

Oh good. More places for the Mexicans to live and take our jobs. Brick will be Little Mexico

Why doesn't the town build a municipal complex, complete with police, police EMS, Vol. EMS, township offices, and municipal court. Since the town owns the land and its the center of town, all the towns vitial services would be in one central spot. To recoup the expense, the sale of all the existing properties around the township be sold to business or others to be used as needed.

There are some credibility issues going on here. First, you have one plan then "oh, we have another now". I realize times change but if this second plan were mentioned as a possiblity when the first one was submitted what would have been the answer? With all of this outcry, I think we know that answer. How about, "it's too congested a traffic area for businesses but OK to move in hundreds of people". How about, "oh, Best Buy and Kmart are failing so no business will work there". Best Buy is having troubles nationally because they are "behind the times" and Brick's Kmart was recently mentioned here. I'm sure that isn't a good reason they are in trouble here. Just remember "bait and switch". Perhaps the overflow from Lakewood could move in there. You'd love that now.

Whole Foods!!

If this wasn't a mayoral election year, the statement that M&M really plans to build something might have more credibility. We've seen this movie twice before in 2009 when Foodtown was demolished and again in 2011 when the trailer with the banner
was planted on the site.
The site should go out for re-bid and let the developers tell us what they can do. It will be years before M&M pays Brick the balance of the original $7.5 million which Scott Pezzarus stated was now $6.2 million at the last council meeting. The demolition of the Foodtown building did not go out for bid and was handed to M&M. The demolition was only supposed to cost $800,000 but it seems another $500,000 disappeared.
Marriott and another chain stated several years ago at a council meeting that they would be willing to put a hotel on that site. Why would we want anyone else's opinion? The Marriott hotels don't close down. The council should talk directly to the hotel chains!
As it is, the yearly payment to Brick from this proposal won't cover paying for the additional services of educating the children from this facility or other town services.
There is currently a 30 year tax abatement that the administration is not willing to discuss.

@ George I agree 7.5 million is better back on the bottom line and in the Bank for Bricktown...And what ever they build will also add to taxes paid by bussiness to off set all of the empty sites we have now and more to come...Gee maybe another Pizza palor,Liq. Store,fast food etc..to add to out control that we have already...

What this town really needs is a safe place for youth as well as others to go, after school or in the summer time, keep kids off the streets and build an indoor recreation facility, kind of like a goodsports, keep kids active and out of trouble as well as create jobs for students that are high school graduates or local college students as well as others who are out of work

This would be a great investment for a Marriott product to review, to develop this land.

If anyone has visited Marriott's BeachPlace Towers located at 21 S Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Fort Lauderdale. (Google it) you would not only find a well put together hotel, time share, fine dining, accommodations, underground parking.

Where as, on the same site [smaller to the Food town lot]- also includes an inside 3 level mall complete with 2-3 themed restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, casual bistro, along with various retail space.

What would make this location attraction valued, being next to Forge Pond - river for boating,park +recreation ( with the right investment+marketing-this could be an added income: aka- "Tourism Tax-Town Funding" for hotel guest).

From the frontage of the land, as from a Hotel point of view facing east -overlooking the Inlet, Marina, Boating access ( Marketing+ Investing+Attraction for local income). Additional thoughts for a hotel establishment -key words ring in "Location", 3 access points to the Garden State Parkway,Baseball Stadium,Beaches,Boards walks (when completed)-shopping, dining, local airport . Access to downtown Philadelphia,New York City,AC less than 1.5hr away. If you wanted to host an event to hold 200 guest "affordable"- all under one location, that was modern, clean, up to date, where would you go.? This is a gold mine for the "Right Investor" I'm just a visionary;but - I see an opportunity for smart people.

A while ago, it was mentioned that the mayor was going to have a meeting about the crime that is in the townhouses / condo developments. I wonder what ever happened with that? And now they want to put in more? Sure, so the investors rent these places out. Who are they kidding?

The concept to build 192 condominium units, 75 rental units and about 19,000 feet of commercial space according to your planning - would be better suited for Camp Osborn location. Maybe in "good faith", M+M would offer special rates for those who lost their homes there?
Of course, any "future" residents there wouldn't be able to walk a few miles back into Lakewood or up East along Rt 70 into, heavy on coming traffic anywhere - ? "Oh, I almost forgot",, if built on barrier island- someone [ residents ] would have to pay taxes for that location. $350K would be a bargin - for someone up north.?

Just think, if you can claim a minimal- $5,000 a yr on property taxes per 192 units - that would bring in $960,000.00 per year. it would be a start,, However wouldn't fix the current problems yet to be addressed. It's only a start in the right direction..

I have come to the conclusion that nothing good will ever be built on that site !

And possibly....nothing at all

The reason ?
To much is muddled deeply into Brick POLITICS !
Therefore,nothing good will ever be done there.

P.S.
I didn't know about the 200 unit complex behind the Shop Rite .

Bad idea !
\Who allowed that ?

Jon G- I agree 100%. An indoor sports facility would do great at that location.

When the three original offers for development were to be presented M&M,s proposal DID NOT include a hotel or banquet center. A single letter from them, which is public record, came in the day before stating, yes the will include a hotel and banquet facility if required. THIS WAS DONE TO QUALIFY AS A CONFORMING BIDDER! They did not want a hotel from day one since you can put in high rent and high density with strip type malls. A hotel and conference center does eat up some parking – but to go forward with misinformation to kill the required request is detrimental to what was required.
Scott Pezarras , please pull out their last minute letter and let it be known that Brick was being played with.

The reality is that every time the Service Organizations in Brick needs to go outside of town to hold events several times every year and have to go to Point Pleasant , Lakewood and Toms River to get a large enough banquet facility to hold the event. Add weddings and other events and why wouldnt a smaller facility and hotel be possible? The new one on 70 by the Home Depot is used by the Blue Claws and teams they play during the baseball season heard they were going to expand. If you put condos in there and small stores you will end up with another pizza parlor and chinese food place and duplicates of 100 other stores in the area that will only support the 200 condos and rental units built around them. It will have no use for the other residents of the town and we will all continue to drive right by it on the way to our everyday destinations. Plus you will have investors buying the condos and renting them out to others.

How many Condo developments are here in Brick already? How many times a week have we "constantly read about the challenges associated with condos, it's rental units regarding - Transient guest and it's Crime rate?"

It always goes back to the Management Company and those who've been bought out prior; who've allow the process to continue. There is No excuses why any "Management Company - who Manages other peoples money - who - allow their investment" to continue to run the way they do.
It would be nice for a new ordinance can be created to fine any - as well poorly run Management Companies who choose to allow tenants come and go causing constant disturbances in that development - putting other lives at risk.
As an example: some Police departments charge a fine to a business for having so many false alarms go off - in the same month?
It's the responsibility of the owner of that building to have the alarm system checked to avoid constant false alarms.

Why not make Landlords,Management companies responsible for their actions of who they allow in, complete thorough background checks on new renters.
It's both added revenue for the Township, keeping a clean house as well the safety to others.

~ just saying.

Looking at the picture of the "proposed" condo development, I can't help but think it looks alot like the condo/townhome development built in Jackson for the Orthodox community. We all know that Lakewood is bursting at the seams. How much is known about M&M realty and their true intentions for the site? Do want Brick to become an extension of Lakewood?

However - M+M (not the Rapper*) did provide us with a nice thoughtful rendering, but to me. I've seen A similar development already actively built - [ something to compare too ] just a few miles from here; West along Cedar Bridge Ave while passing Blue Claws Stadium - just across from Tent City. near by liquor store and train tracks....Looks,,, almost the same..?

~ coincidence ~

~ just saying....

In short, most towns are just that - an active - local residential community - known as a suburb of a major city or developed with both residential and commercial as focal point, or know as a Downtown or iconic land marks such as, a fountain, lake, boulder, court house etc.

years back, I would hear a about Brick Town and it's changes,, However over the recent years it's referred to as "Brick".... Brick with it's many strip malls, high ways ~ with out a ~ Downtown.

~ The Foodtown lot - is almost, in the middle of Brick Town it's self ~

perhaps with a good focal point as an iconic land mark could provide such, for everyone here... ?

Think about it,, what would you want to "Represent" - as your focal point to the Town we live in..

They have been trying to build a similar project behind Shop Rite since before 9/11. I wouldnt get too optimistic about anything being built there.

How about an Ocean County jail substation? The way this county is going, they are going to need all of the room they can get.

how about "victory gardens". we won't be able to afford food so why not rent a small space to grow your own vegs. use the park like setting and grow food. lol. Don't allow condos! it seems that everyone responding in the patch has an accurate idea of what will happen if condos go there!

has anyone here seen the inside of " Old " Brick High School? there HAS to be health violations in that place ... NEW brick was build in the 80's & gets more repairs done & upkeep. Hate to say it But OLD brick needs to get demolished & Rebuild a new HS It this lot... & Use the lot that the HS is sitting on now ( if the soil is even safe enough) for a huge sport complex for ALL the residents to enjoy... maybe even a town pool???

A twp. park would pay no taxes. A new twp. municipal bldg. would pay no taxes and cost of us millions. "Acropolis Acres" is a money-loser every year this land remains empty. Build SOMETHING and they will come.

How about a large indoor rec center similar to the Incline club... As an adult I don't want to skate at Drum point where they only let you there after school hours where there are young kids in the way and it is inconvienent and small and closes when its dark. Think about the value of it and what it could have.

Make it into a private clubhouse that only Bellu and Pezzaras can use. Show some respect , They deserve more from the taxpayers.

PLEASE NO CONDOS!!!! Do you really think that people are going to buy a condo to live on 70? If you build them as condos, they will not sell and then they will just end up being apartments, no thanks! And 192 units, then we have overcrowded schools and how many kids now walking along a dangerous road. They used to have in Toms River a big recreation place, lazer tag, indoor miniature golf...something for the kids that are too old for Chuckie Cheese and when the boardwalk is closed for the season. Or better yet, build a hockey rink, we have a ton of kids and adults that want to play hockey...the ice palace has limited ice time for them and the cost is high for 1 darn hour. Build one to attract a minor league team...like Blue Claws for hockey...Hockey is big in Brick. The town, the businesses would prosper. Just no hotels, no condos, we have enough. Something like that would be a win for all, bring in jobs, a place for these kids to play and attract the Albany Devil's, the restaurants. our businesses would make out.

Agreed...but it is all about the money! They would get more money from condos so they can feed the local pigs.

Victor has a good idea, though.

This site has been a looser even when Food town was there, but just a thought how about a town run Bingo hall? I know that there is bingo at different locations in town but not many they could sponsor a night for their organization and other nights would be for the town. Bingo 6 or 7 nights a week would bring in cash to the town instead of a dead zone!

R Horn Each year a new plan comes forth and it sounds good until the plans are submitted. We already have a lot of empty space around town that is not occupied so now we are building more retail space that will prove to be unused. Two points to consider. Do you remember that just recently how that area flooded after Sandy and let us not forget how M&M has worked so hard on the property they own on the corner of J M Blvd. and Hwy. 88. This area has been greatly improved. Will the foodtown lot end up the same way. We have to do something about the lot because at present it is an empty eye sore in a real visible place that everybody see going through our town.

What is the next public town meeting for foodtown discussion
We all need to go!

Beautify Brick/Friends of Forge Pond...
Katherine Lockwood & Mike Morton will be holding a meeting at 7pm [ALL ARE WELCOME] @ the Brick Diner [formerly the Ocean Queen] on Rt. 70, next to the Jersey Paddler. Discussion for the evening will be the Foodtown property. [906 Route 70 Brick, NJ 08724]