Station Place Development formerly known as the Courtyards

The Station Place Development formerly known as the Courtyards@Monmouth Project was sold to Brenda McIntyre of Station Place LLC. The property was sold for 4 Million according to tax records and they received 9.6 million in loans from the seller, Amboy Bank. for the 45 market units. The building according to the application is 60,556 sq ft. Roger Mumford went before the Red Bank Zoning Board at a special meeting on December 13, 2012 to revise previously agreed to plans. He received those approvals at this meeting and then Brenda McIntyre signed the deeds on December 19, 2012.
From the Borough of Red Bank Agenda list for a Special Zoning Board Hearing held on Dec 13, 2012.

Station Place @Red Bank, LLC, Monmouth and West Streets, Block 42, Lots
1,2,2.01,3,4,19,20,21 Z 10411
Seeking relief from conditions of a prior Zoning Board approval and amendment to the
application including revised elevations, elimination of solar canopies and roof –top
easement, elimination of on-site car share use, and changes to the parking and grading
plans to permit the construction of a 60,556 square foot multi –family building consisting
of 45 units and a 12,822 square foot building consisting of 12 units. BR-1 Zone and BR-2
Zone.From the Asbury Park Press dated 12/28/12
What had been hailed as a forward thinking condominium project, with solar panels, car-share parking and a rain garden has given way to economic reality.
Revised plans for the former Courtyards at Monmouth project, now dubbed Station Place, were approved by Red Bank’s Zoning Board of Adjustment on Dec. 13, by a 7-0 vote.
The site has seen several previous plans, none of which ever were constructed.
Developer Roger Mumford said the changes were necessary so Station Place will not just be a pipe dream on paper.
The design calls for building a 45-unit, four-story upscale rental building on Monmouth and West streets and a smaller building of 12 affordable units at West and Oakland streets.
The original development proposed by GS Realty Corp., which is part of Amboy Bank, proposed a car canopy over the 67 spaces in a parking lot, to be covered with solar panels, a rain garden to filter rain water and proposals to include parking for car-sharing companies, such as Zipcar, which could eliminate the need some residents have for a first or second car.
The revisions scuttled some of those features, which some said gave the project a visionary aspect. Even the buildings’ appearance with faux brownstone individual entrances and stairs, has given way to a traditional single entrance and lobby.
“I didn’t think they were very appealing. The spirit of the (new) building (facade) is captured from the Count Basie theater,” Mumford said during a hearing on the application. “I wanted more classic architecture that would look great 20 years from now.”
The overall size of the buildings are the same with aesthetic changes and reconfiguring the internal lay-outs.
While he proposed to eliminate the solar, Mumford cited his environmental credibility for building other energy efficient developments, including a group of new homes at Bridge Avenue and Bergen Place.
“Our environmental policy recognizes energy efficiency, conserves natural resources and indoor air quality,” Mumford said. “It may not be technically LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, but it will be one of the greenest buildings in Red Bank.”
The solar aspect of the original plans would only provide 10 to 15 percent of the buildings’ electricity, Mumford said.
Gary Weisman, president of the New Jersey Solar Coalition, said the market has dropped out of the solar energy market, since the original approval. He said the solar component of the project was “made for a project, that if your look at it on an economic basis, is no longer viable,” considering the current health of the solar energy market.
“There is no way I could find an investor for the solar component of this project,” Weisman said, adding it would take at least 15 years under the current economic climate to recoup that investment.
Mumford called solar “one spoke on the environmental wheel” and ticked off a list of environmentally friendly features such as cabinetry certified not to contain formaldehyde, “engineered” lumber made of recycled wood chips, recycled concrete chips in the parking lot, a white plastic “cool” roof covering to reflect energy and energy efficient insulation.
The “L” shaped corner property has a tortured history of proposals, which never saw reality.
Prior to interest by Amboy Bank and its real estate arm, G.S. Realty, the last development approved on that site in May 2008 was never built, and borough officials said the bank took possession of the property.
Those plans, proposed by RB Monmouth LLC, would have built three, four-story buildings with stores on the first floor and apartments on the upper floors for a total of 20 units.
RB Monmouth bought the property and different plans from Building Land Technology, which filed an application in 2003 and got approval to build a total of 35 condo and townhouse units in three buildings on the site.
That approval was challenged in 2004, by seven borough residents who sued, contending there was a conflict of interest between a board member and a law firm, which previously represented the land owner.
In 2006, three state Appellate Division judges ruled that board member shouldn’t have heard the BLT application and reversed the approval.

From a letter to the editor on the Hub Newspaper dated 9/28/06
Pay-to-play changing landscape
Now that former state Sen. John Lynch and his business partner John Westlake have pleaded guilty to corruption charges and tax evasion, it is important for my fellow residents of the Jersey Shore to understand the nexus between John Lynch and our local politicians, developers and their professionals. Just as importantly, we need to understand the impact of these relationships and how it has affected the quality of life in our shore communities.
In the movie, “All the President’s Men,” actor Hal Holbrook portrays the Washington insider Deep Throat who continually states “follow the money.” If we follow that lead, it takes us to two political action committees which have had a tremendous influence over our politicians, some who are already guilty of corruption. “New Directions Through Responsible Leadership,” a Lynch PAC – co-chaired by Westlake and John Hoffman of the Wilentz, Goldman, and Spitzer law firm – has raised millions of dollars since 2000. The bulk of those dollars have come from people or companies doing redevelopment projects throughout the state and in our hometowns.
Developers like K Hovnanian, the Gale Co., Mack-Cali, PRC, Jack Morris, Applied Development, Matzel and Mumford, and others have contributed significantly to this PAC, and it is no coincidence they are all doing major development projects in towns like Long Branch, Matawan, Asbury Park, Keyport, West Long Branch, Belmar and my hometown of Red Bank.
In addition, engineering firms such as Maser Consulting, Birdsall Engineering, Schoor DePalma, T&M Associates, and Najarian Associates are among the local firms who have been major contributors for years. Again, it is of no surprise these firms are either employed by our towns or are working on behalf of the developers.
The other PAC called the Monmouth County Council of Democratic Leaders – formed in 1999 and co-chaired by the respective law partners of Mayor Ed McKenna of Red Bank and Mayor Ken Pringle of Belmar – has been in sync with the Lynch PAC for many years. Not only has this PAC received contributions from the same developers and professionals, but it has also received direct monies from New Directions by way of “wheeling.” Also, the McKenna/Pringle PAC has wheeled money upwards to the Lynch PAC for many years.
Where has the money flowed to? In Monmouth County, the biggest recipient of campaign contributions from New Directions has been the Red Bank Democrats and their campaign accounts, each year chaired by Mayor McKenna. In fact, Mayor McKenna received $5,000 in 2000 in his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic county chairmanship. Again, it is of no coincidence that currently there are 19 development projects proposed or under construction in Red Bank.
Another major recipient of campaign monies was Mayor Adam Schneider in Long Branch, who in addition received campaign staff help from John Lynch in his re-election campaign this past May. These staffers were formerly on the payroll of Lynch’s New Directions.
Mayor Schneider and his use of eminent domain on good citizens has been fueled by these developers and professionals. Is it again a coincidence Joseph Barry of Applied Development, Charles Kushner of Westminster Properties, and Phil Konvitz – all guilty of corruption – were doing waterfront development? Mayor Schneider also represented developer Jack Morris in the Walgreens project in West Long Branch, where a bribe was passed to a Democratic councilman.
I could certainly continue to write about how far and how deep this goes, but then it would become a book. I only wish to inspire those of you out there who are not happy with the overdevelopment of your hometowns. There is a direct link as to why it is happening, and it’s not called smart growth. It is pay-to-play and corruption, and it has changed the Jersey Shore landscape.
For those facing eminent domain this holiday season, my heart goes out to all of you, for it truly is the “Lynch” who stole Christmas.

Stephen M. Fitzpatrick

Red Bank
Ed McKenna who endorsed the GS Realty/Amboy Bank approvals that were acquired by Brenda McIntyre also became a member of the Red Bank Rivercenter just prior to Amboy Bank/GS Realty making application for the approvals and numerous variances. This project failed to meet the guidelines on the Rivercenter organization. In addition the township rezoned the property for greater density on the parcels that were identified as in foreclosure from the former Coffenberg approval after the town argued that the Coffenberg approval was creating a much higher density than permitted in the zone which was never true and proven during the Coffenberg approval process.
Here is the deed for Station Place’s Purchase from GS Realty which is Amboy Bank.
deed station place
Here is the tax record for the Station Place purchase and mortgage from Amboy Bank.

The data within this report is compiled by CoreLogic from public and private sources.
Generated on 11/06/2013
153 Monmouth St, Red Bank, NJ 07701, Monmouth County
Beds
N/A
MLS Sq Ft
60,000
Lot Sq Ft
15,002
Sale Price
$4,000,000
Baths
N/A
Yr Built
N/A
Type
N/A
Sale Date
12/19/2012
Expired Listing
Owner Information
Owner Name: Station Place At Red Bank LLC Tax Billing Zip: 07739
Tax Billing Address: 52 Paag Cir Tax Billing Zip+4: 1739
Tax Billing City & State: Little Silver, NJ Owner Occupied: No
Location Information
Township: Red Bank Boro Carrier Route: C004
Zoning: MU-08 Block #: 42
Census Tract: 8036.00 Lot #: 1
Tax Information
Tax ID: 39-00042-0000-00001 Lot Number: 1
Tax Appraisal Area: 39 Block ID: 42
Legal Description: ALSO LOT 2 NIT 1A
Assessment & Tax
Assessment Year 2012 2011 2010
Assessed Value – Total $737,000 $914,400 $914,400
Assessed Value – Land $737,000 $737,000 $737,000
Assessed Value – Improved $177,400 $177,400
YOY Assessed Change (%) -19.4% 0%
YOY Assessed Change ($) -$177,400 $0
Tax Year Total Tax YOY Tax Change ($) YOY Tax Change (%)
2010 $16,221
2011 $16,523 $302 1.86%
2012 $13,657 -$2,867 -17.35%
Characteristics
Estimated Lots Acres: 0.3444 Estimated Building Square
Feet:
Tax: 1,862 MLS: 60,000
Estimated Lot Area: 15,002 Exterior: Concrete Block

Property Detail
Page 2 of 3
The data within this report is compiled by CoreLogic from public and private sources.
Generated on 11/06/2013
Last Market Sale & Sales History
Recording Date: 12/28/2012 Deed Type: Bargain & Sale Deed
Settle Date: 12/19/2012 Owner Name: Station Place At Red Bank LLC
Sale Price: $4,000,000 Seller: Gs Realty Corp
Document Number: 8988-5283
Recording Date 12/28/2012 09/13/2012 05/21/2009 12/06/2006 07/09/2004
Sale Price $4,000,000 $955,000
Nominal Y Y Y
Buyer Name Station Place At Red Bank LLC
Balacco Property Mgmt
LLC Gs Realty Corp R B Monmouth LLC Palatial Homes At Red
Bank LLC
Seller Name Gs Realty Corp Gs Realty Corp Rb Monmouth LLC R B Monmouth LLC Torra Frank M &
Alexandra
Document Number 8988-5283 8970-6379 8774-6828 8613-680 8379-7961
Document Type Bargain & Sale Deed Deed (Reg) Rerecorded Deed Deed (Reg) Deed (Reg)
Recording Date
Sale Price $40,000
Nominal
Buyer Name Torra Frank
Seller Name Methot June
Document Number 4161-84
Document Type Deed (Reg)
Mortgage History
Mortgage Date 12/28/2012 07/27/2007 05/11/2007 07/09/2004
Mortgage Amount $9,600,000 $500,000 $4,500,000 $1,886,880
Mortgage Lender Amboy Bk Amboy Nat’l Bk Amboy Nat’l Bk Amboy Nat’l Bk
Mortgage Type Resale Construction Construction Resale
Foreclosure History
Document Type Release Of Lis Pendens/Notice Lis Pendens
Foreclosure Filing Date 09/22/2008
Recording Date 01/20/2012 10/07/2008
Document Number 6806 107013
Original Doc Date 03/31/2010 05/11/2007
Original Document Number 27909
Original Book Page 8825009634 8651001071

Amboy Bank subdivides Courtyards might have Red Bank Housing Authority Manage

After having a closed door session with the Red Bank Borough Council last week to discuss a developers agreement, Amboy Bank obtained an approval to subdivide the property into 2 lots. One lot for the 12 unit affordable housing building and the other building for the 45 unit market priced building. The approval of the subdivision was voted on 7-0 by the Red Bank Zoning Board. Amboy Bank officials were asked about whether there would be 2 associations and originally they responded that they had not given it too much thought. A few minutes later they were asked  if the Red Bank Housing Authority might be one of the management companies and they said yes. Amboy Bank also acknowledged that they are no longer going to build the site which last week they claimed they would be the builder. It is now being sold to a well known county builder to be named later. As for the closed meeting last week, in NJ you can only have a closed door meeting to discuss 9 different issues. One of the issues that is covered is when the borough is using public funds to purchase private property. During the original approval process former mayor and current Rivercenter member Ed McKenna endorsed the development plans. In the past Red Bank purchased property known as the Cedar Crossings from a developer using State of NJ affordable housing grant money for 2.4 million dollars. The town then sold the property to Red Bank Affordable Housing Corporation for $1 of which Former Mayor Ed McKenna is the Vice President of the Non-Profit Corporation. Originally borough officials stated this property would be developed by the Red Bank Housing Authority. Former Red Bank Councilman and current Monmouth County Freeholder John Curley had indicated he contacted the FBI to investigate the Cedar Crossings situation.  The Cedar Crossings project upon completion will be managed by the Red Bank Housing Authority which Stan Koryva of Amboy Bank could possibly happen with the Courtyards At Monmouth project.

Amboy Bank to Subdivide Courtyard Affordable Housing

On February 16, 2012 Amboy Bank will seek approvals to subdivide their Courtyards Project on the corner of Monmouth/West/Oakland Streets. It was approved about 1 year ago for 57 condos. 45 of the condos would be market priced in one building and a second building would consist of 12 affordable units. On February 8th, 2012 Amboy Bank officials met with the Red Bank Borough Council in a closed session to discuss the development of the property and financing. Mayor Pat Menna was not present for this meeting.  According to NJ open meeting laws there are only 9 reasons that a government can have a closed meeting. One such reason would be to discuss using public funds to acquire property. According to Amboy Bank representatives they need to subdivide the property in order to obtain financing and they also plan to develop the 2 subdivided pieces  themselves.

Previously Red  Bank purchased private property know as the Cedar Crossings with 2.4 million dollars of state grant money. This property was then sold to Red Bank Affordable Housing Corporation to build 36 affordable housing units and seems to have generated several hundred thousand dollars in surplus funds. This Corporation has members that include former Mayor Ed McKenna, William Katchen a CPA who has been banned in the past by the Federal Government related to public housing funds, and Frank Borin a lawyer with the Decotiis law firm who has taken several thousand dollars in fees from Red Bank Affordable Housing Corportation for his law firm. Ed McKenna has been at several approval meetings supporting the Amboy approvals and is also a representative of the Red Bank Rivercenter. Amboy Bank was able to obtain approvals in contrast to the vision of Red Bank  Rivercenter’s plan to create street level retail along Monmouth Street between the train station and Broad Street.

Non-Profit Scam using public land for grant  money

Crossing Paths in Red Bank Approvals

The Federal Election Commission fined Amboy Bank and its CEO George Scharpf in 2003 for campaign donation violations. George Scharpf and Amboy Bank had a very close relationship with former Governor McGreevey and former NJ State Senator John Lynch.  Lynch was sent to jail for fraud along with Red Bank resident Jack Westlake. Here is an excerpt from the book The Jersey Sting related to Amboy Bank. John Lynch was a major supporter of former Red Bank Mayor Ed McKenna. Here is an excerpt from an article in the bayshore courier news from a few years ago. Also, a 2000 race for the Monmouth County Democratic chairmanship pitted Red Bank Mayor Ed McKenna against Scudiery. McKenna received $5,000 from the New Directions PAC for the ultimately unsuccessful attempt. Lynch’s PAC has continued to support McKenna’s role as a Democratic leader in Monmouth County, contributing $9,700 to the Red Bank Democratic Party and $2,500 to the Monmouth County Council of Democrat Leaders PAC, a committee McKenna is affiliated with, since 2002. Below is a link to  a campaign donation list for John Lynch’s New Directions PAC from 2002. The list is very lengthy and includes an executive with Amboy Bank and the McKenna Law Firm.

new directions pac 2002

 Is this possible Lynch connection more than a coincidence and could the idea of a Red Bank Transit Village come from Lynch.  Ed McKenna has been supporting Amboy Bank to obtain higher than allowed density at the property located at Monmouth/West/Oakland Streets in Red Bank. Next week Amboy Bank goes before the zoning board to subdivide the affordable housing from the market units. Ed McKenna has a non-profit affordable housing corporation and is just finishing the cedar crossings project.  The zoning was changed while Amboy Bank was in the process of foreclosing on the property formerly owned by George Coffenberg. Arguments by the borough engineer against the Coffenberg development was that it was too dense even though it followed the existing zoning laws. If they did not like 16 units per acre why would they change the zoning to 35 units per acre a year later? If you look at the original Coffenberg Courtyard approval process and compare what happened after Coffenberg gave the property back to Amboy Bank you will notice different treatments of the same property.  Ed McKenna was appointed to the Red Bank Rivercenter at the same time that an approval by the zoning board was received to allow Amboy Bank to not follow the required special district zoning promoting street level retail from the train station to Broad Street.  Amboy Bank also funded around $1 million in repairs to the 51 Monmouth Street Red Bank property which was the former Red Bank Police Station sold to Ed McKenna’s Kid’s Bridge charity for $1. Amboy Bank located at 36 Monmouth Street was listed as the address to make donations on behalf of the charity. The former police station building was transferred a year later to the Red Bank YMCA and now the Red Bank YMCA is selling the property to Red Bank Catholic for over $1 million. Interestingly enough is that George Scharpf CEO of Amboy Bank was in charge of the planned capital campaign to fund a new YMCA in Old Bridge which would be under the control of the Red Bank YMCA.   Red Bank’s borough engineer, T & M of Middletown, was also the engineer for the YMCA project in Old Bridge. Even though Ed McKenna is no longer the Mayor of Red Bank he seems to have a lot of involvement in the way the town is run. Here he is celebrating last November’s election

After he wrote the last figures from the local districts on a running tally board, former Mayor Ed McKenna, who frequently taunts his opponents, jabbed his middle finger into the air. In a surprise move a week before the hearing to subdivide the affordable housing units from the market units, the Red Bank Council without the Mayor met in closed session to create a developers agreement for the affordable housing so that GS Realty which is part of Amboy bank can subdivide the land and obtain easier financing. It would seem a bank that owns all of the land would not need to subdivide the land nor find financing.

Before and After

It would be nice to understand why an application that was basically variance free and followed the recent River Center zoning requirements  would encounter as many difficulties as it did. Former Red Bank Council Member and Zoning Board member, Monmouth County Freeholder John Curley, may have shed some light on the subject as well as why certain projects are approved while others are not. Here is his quote from Red Bank Green Curley says he began to sour on the administration during his time on the zoning board. “It was, ‘yes, yes, yes’ right on around the table, and it was too simplified, too orchestrated,” he says. “And I knew who was getting the telephone calls, and who from, and told this was a ‘go’ deal or this was a ‘no’ deal.” He does not allege outright corruption, though. What is interesting about the Monmouth/West/Oakland Street property is that BLT had approvals for over 30 condos on a smaller site than mine as I acquired 1 additional lot that they were unable to buy yet they were concerned about the density of my project when they had approved a greater density for a smaller parcel previously. The density on the BLT project caused a lot of turmoil between the neighbors, the town and the developer. The BLT developers were also closely associated with the Red Bank Democratic Organization. Now after I lost the property to Amboy Bank the property was rezoned to 35 units per acre. The bank was able to obtain 57 units on the property without having to follow the Rivercenter plan of creating street level retail along Monmouth Street. Again it is interesting to note that my application was considered too dense yet as soon as I gave the property back to the bank they more than doubled the density for the property and then gave an approval for even more than the newly created 35 units per acre. This property is 1.25 acres so roughly 44 units would have conformed to the zone. The 57  units contain 12 affordable units in 1 building and 45 market  units in another building. Former Mayor and current Rivercenter member Ed McKenna has been very vocal in support for the project. He also is a member of the non-profit Red Bank Affordable Housing Corporation which received a 36 unit project from the town for $1 after the town obtained $2.4 million in grant money to acquire the land. Another one of his non-profit organizations, the now defunct “Kids Bridge” aquired the former Red Bank Police Station for $1. The police station located at 51 Monmouth Street obtained over 1 million dollars from Amboy Bank for renovations after it was transferred by Kids Bridge to the YMCA. 51 monmoth tax record. Amboy Bank’s Red Bank location at 36 Monmouth
Street is also listed as an address for Kids Bridge.  In a recent court settlement, Red Bank has agreed to contribute $125,000 towards additional renovations to the building. This building is now being sold by the YMCA which took over Kids Bridge to Red Bank Catholic for over 1 million dollars. Amboy Bank is now scheduled for February 16, 2012 to subdivide the affordable housing building from the market value units. One would probably assume that 2 different developers will develop the Courtyards @ Monmouth Project.

We only want to limit your density

After arguing for months about the concern of density on the property at Monmouth St, West St, and Oakland St the town decided to increase the allowed density around the train station to create a transit village. I sought a density of 16 units per acre by doing exactly what was permitted which was to build 4 units above retail space at a time 14 units per acre were allowed. This seemed to upset Rich Kosenski of T & M Engineering and was the basis for his denial of constructing buildings 1 inch a apart. Once the town found out that I was losing the property to Amboy Bank, they began to rezone my property based on those parcels identified in MLS tax records as being in pre-foreclosure. rb zoning changes As you can see the original map only covers the 3 lots in pre-foreclosure (2 tax records 3 lots), then a few months later they decided to re-zone my entire property which covered 8 parcels of land. I gave the property back to Amboy Bank in February or March of 2009 at around the same time that the town started working on the zoning change. You can even see how the map lines were an after thought You also notice that the original natural boundry would have been west of West Street and this group of properties are the only ones on the east side of West Street. The new transit village zone raised the allowed density to 35 units per acre. There were several people involved with the town that had access to the tax records in mls and it is probably not a coincidence that the rezoning of the property was done in 2 stages and then ultimately approved for 57 units by Amboy Bank a year later.