Skip to content

No White Flag For White House Opponents

Neighbors against townhouse plan sue Zoning Board, developers

 

Gratefully republished with the permission of the Coast Star

28 Comments

  1. hmmm wrote:

    I think they may win on appeal. I guess it’ll stay the white house for at least another season.

    Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 8:57 am | Permalink
  2. More Condos, More M wrote:

    The town is starting to look like Long Branch.

    Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 9:15 am | Permalink
  3. 2nd ave wrote:

    The Puleos made their offer after 6 years on the market.. their offer came with a threat, while the White House was already under contract. This is extortion. They will not succeed..

    Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 9:30 am | Permalink
  4. 2nd Ave wrote:

    More Condos – Far from Long Branch.. you have seen the plans? The White House has 34 rooms that they rented for the entire season.. with no off street parking. All guests had at least one vehicle that was parked all summer long.. this is a much better plan for this site. Less density. We all know that these luxury townhomes will be second homes for people just like the Puleos and Mr. Russell. they can show off their collection of luxury vehicles and hang out at the BFC together. They will love their new neighbors and their property values will go up. Mr. Russell rents his property out for much of the summer and all of the winter, he does not even live here. The Puleos should have purchased ocean front if they wanted to have a view. Hell, they still can. They had years to make a reasonable offer on the property and were told to do so many times. Severe case of missing out and entitlement.

    Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 10:09 am | Permalink
  5. watchman wrote:

    “Want variances? See Mr. Kennedy.” This suit may slow him and the Zoning Board down some. This project is way over the top in not complying with current construction parameters.

    Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 11:41 am | Permalink
  6. Anonymous wrote:

    No problem with replacing White House with condos. Six is too many. Make it four. All new construction in Belmar is overbuilt on the existing properties. Neighbors are on top of one another.

    Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 11:48 am | Permalink
  7. Condos wrote:

    #6 He won’t make it four – he wants maximum profit.

    When granting variances, nothing should matter except whether there is a hardship or not. There is not. The place, as is, can sell at market value (which is not a hardship as we are not blighted). It’s not the zoning boards responsibility to make the seller the most money he wants out of the property and it’s not their responsibility to make the most money for the developer. It should be sold as a one family or rooming house, and it absolutely can be.

    Friday, October 25, 2019 at 7:57 am | Permalink
  8. guest wrote:

    Does anyone know if there has been a decline in the amount of police calls to the Belmar Inn since that application was rescinded and they re-opened?

    Friday, October 25, 2019 at 8:18 am | Permalink
  9. Anonymous wrote:

    #7- You are absolutely correct. By his own admission he will own/live in one,and NEEDS six built to make the project feasible. BS. And EVERYONE wants to make a ton of money. The property is not worth as much as they claim. Conform to the master plan. Build one $5M single family house and be done with this waste of time.

    Friday, October 25, 2019 at 8:19 am | Permalink
  10. Anonymous wrote:

    Only alternative for the property owner is to be punished and forced to build a 5 MILLION dollar home? Are you CRAZY?

    Friday, October 25, 2019 at 9:42 am | Permalink
  11. anonymoustoo wrote:

    @7 condos – do you know what the property is assessed at?? not much less than the under contract price. It is not being sold over market value. Look it up- it is public info. The current owner, Mr. Wagner, has been here with his family paying taxes for 57+ years.. now he should see at a loss because someone decided the property should only be single family? The property is surrounded by condos, townhomes, apartment complexes and multi family homes. This project fits right in with that and will look much better than what surrounds it.

    Friday, October 25, 2019 at 10:32 am | Permalink
  12. 2nd Ave wrote:

    to number 7/Condos – it was on the market for years. Not one person made an offer to make it a single family home. Only interested parties wanted multi family, a hotel with restaurant, B&B, a sober living facility, condos. The Puleos offer/extortion came after it was under contract. Their offer was for less and made with a threat. who does that? They had years to make a reasonable offer. Fear of missing out. entitlement.

    Friday, October 25, 2019 at 10:38 am | Permalink
  13. MM wrote:

    This will not be overturned by a judge!!! Look at the area…there are condos and apartments all around there. The board made the decision, and the judge will not over turn it simply because someone thinks there should be 4 instead of 6! And the town does not look like Long Branch! Far from it! Merkler is not building a high rise!

    Friday, October 25, 2019 at 10:51 am | Permalink
  14. 2nd Ave wrote:

    @13 agreed. Finally an intelligent and informed response. Mary Hearn’s homes are found in the nicest areas – Avon, Spring Lake, Sea Girt and throughout Belmar. It is a beautiful design and will add value to the neighborhood. It was heard and it was approved. The process was fair. Time to embrace it and move on. If you want ocean front/ocean view property – buy it when it is available.

    Friday, October 25, 2019 at 11:10 am | Permalink
  15. Big surprise wrote:

    The lawyers for the plaintiffs were preparing for an appeal while the process was still going on. The one attorney brought it up several times. I think he fell in love with sound of his own voice at one point. Either that or he gets paid by the word.

    Friday, October 25, 2019 at 5:33 pm | Permalink
  16. 2nd Ave wrote:

    @15 also no surprise that they waited til the 11th hour to do so. Delay delay delay.. their intent is to cause pain.

    Friday, October 25, 2019 at 6:29 pm | Permalink
  17. eugene creamer wrote:

    if the zoning board didn’t do their job the first time around … there is always enough time to do it over.

    Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 1:35 am | Permalink
  18. Anonymous wrote:

    Did Belmar receive a Tort Claim Notice from Puleo’s Attorney and, if so, are our insurance attorneys handling claim yet?

    Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 2:08 pm | Permalink
  19. Guest wrote:

    While this lawsuit drags out in the courts the owner of White House should start boarding to section 8. That would make six luxury condos look pretty good and maybe speed things up!

    Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 9:34 pm | Permalink
  20. Average Joe wrote:

    #19 That;s not nice. Section 8 people are just below average and need a little help.

    Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 6:04 am | Permalink
  21. Anonymous wrote:

    #19-I am an anti-socialist but please don’t discriminate against persons labeled “section 8”. As long as they abide by laws and rules they should be allowed to live where ever they are welcomed. We are all God’s children.

    Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 8:03 am | Permalink
  22. 2nd Ave wrote:

    @19 what many don’t realize is that the WH is strictly seasonal. It has always been a seasonal business, since well before the current family purchased in 1963. Only one small efficiency apartment, owner’s quarters are heated and insulated. They do get calls from state and local organizations for emergency temporary housing. I find that many commenting know little about what they are speaking of. Especially the expert for the opponents claiming that the WH just needs a little work. He is an expert on the area.. he walked by it 3 times (insert eyeroll emoji here)

    Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 8:45 am | Permalink
  23. annonmymos wrote:

    The Puleos only submitted their offer after they found out that 6 sky scrapper townhouses were going to be built instead of a single family home.

    How is this extortion or threating?

    No one in their right mind would pay 2.5 mill just for the land as a single family home- overpriced. So Merkler cooked up this town home idea. Pack em in. Lets live on top of everyone.

    Monday, November 4, 2019 at 3:32 pm | Permalink
  24. 2nd Ave wrote:

    What is a sky scrapper? The new buildings (2) will be a few inches taller than the highest point of the existing White House. The project will house less people than the WH did. Another person that knows nothing about what they speak. The WH sits on the property line, The Puleos and Russell homes were built on what once was one lot. Making an offer of “take it or we will tie your life up” is extortion. The Puleos are bullies who should buy oceanfront if that’s what they want in their vacation home.

    Monday, November 4, 2019 at 5:49 pm | Permalink
  25. Mystery wrote:

    Hate to say it but #24 is right. The new structures are six inches taller than the white house. The white house sits on the property line currently. The new structure will be 5 or 6 feet off property line. The Puleos have their reasons for spending a considerable amount of money to try to stop this project. I don’t know what those reasons are. But based on the size of the new project compared to the WH as well as the amount of people that will inhabit the new structure compared to the WH, they seem to have nothing to do with the town houses themselves.

    Monday, November 4, 2019 at 7:37 pm | Permalink
  26. eugene creamer wrote:

    a skyscraper is what u c on the horizon as u drive north on Ocean Avenue … Asbury Park.

    Monday, November 4, 2019 at 10:08 pm | Permalink
  27. 2nd Ave wrote:

    @25 Mystery – Thank you – I guess knowing the White House and owner for the last 30 years, I kind of know what I speak of. I am certain most commenting against the project have never stepped foot in the place or even spent time on the block. Why does it hurt you to say I am correct?
    @26 Mr. Creamer – You are correct that is a skyscraper in Asbury Park.. The proposed 2 buildings/six townhomes on the WH property are not.

    Friday, November 8, 2019 at 8:57 pm | Permalink
  28. Mystery wrote:

    #27 it’s just a figure of speech. I don’t hate to say you’re right. I think you’re right.

    Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 8:47 pm | Permalink

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared.