Connecting the dots at Cedar Crossing Red Bank NJ

I never could quite understand all of the outside connections to the Cedar Crossing property nor the timing of it. It all began in 2006 when a group of investors were trying to get approvals on a former contaminated industrial site on the Westside of Red Bank. I had traced some of the investors to North Jersey and Woodbridge NJ even though they had been referred to as people from Shrewsbury. Some of the people had offices in Shrewsbury as did John Lynch at the time. This site is also located about a block away from another affordable housing site which was involved in the John Lynch investigation related to Pennrose which owns and developed the former River Street School property. While this investment group was in the process of obtaining approvals for 36 units, that even T and M Associates the borough engineer, felt was too intense for the site, Mayor McKenna began to say this was a great opportunity for the town to provide affordable housing. In August of 2006, Mayor Ed McKenna started to push for the town to purchase the property at above appraised value and without the final approvals using free state grant money. John Curley who is currently a Monmouth County Freeholder, was at the time a council person who opposed the purchase and even made statements that the FBI should investigate the situation. In 2007 the property was acquired by the town using the state grant money and around the same time a corporation known as Red Bank Affordable Housing Corporation was created. Again it was a strange mix of people. You had the Reverend of the Pilgrim Baptist Church in Red Bank, Ed McKenna former mayor of Red Bank, another Red Bank Attorney that had provided the Monmouth County Bar Association with a racist skit (when that was revealed he seemed to no longer be involved with the project), William Katchen from Bergen County, and Frank Borin from the DeCotiis Law Firm in Bergen County. For details and links related to the Cedar Crossings development you can read my other posts. This is basically a summary that has taken me several years to put together. I only recently discovered that the Lynch PAC New Directions for Responsible Leadership was co-run by Alfred DeCotiis of the the DeCotiis Law Firm. Now the Bergen County and Middlesex County connections to a small piece of land in Red Bank NJ all makes sense. It seems to have been orchestrated from the very beginning using more or less no-name people from out of the area to present the subdivision, have the mayor of the town push for the town to overpay for the land using free money and have several connected Democratic Party members profit by overseeing the construction and sale of the units. William Katchen, the CPA for Red Bank Affordable Housing Corporation has crossed paths with Joseph Ferriero and Dennis Oury who owned Government Grants Consulting and may very well have assisted in obtaining the NJ grants for this project because the DeCotiis Firm acknowledges that they worked with consultants to obtain the approvals and funding for this project. William Katchen along with Dennis Oury were involved in an investigation related to missing affordable housing funds in Paramus NJ. Again the timing also calls into question about what transpired. John Lynch pled guilty to various charges in September 2006 and would not have been able to have worked on this project. This was just one month after Mayor McKenna pushed for the town to acquire the property. John Lynch was also known to be friends with Ed McKenna and his PAC provided funds to the Red Bank Democratic Party and Ed McKenna’s Law Firm donated to Lynch’s PAC New Directions for Responsible Leadership. So if I were to connect the dots it would be Lynch to no-name developers to McKenna/Red Bank Borough to Baptist Church/Katchen/DeCotiis/McKenna with most likely consultants like Oury/Ferriero/Spatz helping to obtain 100% financing for the project that should yield several hundred thousand dollars in profit if and when they ever sell the remaining 14 units of the 36 unit development.
North South Brunswick Sentinel
October 5, 2006 Edition
GOP: Lynch funds should be returned
Corruption charges against ex-senator become campaign issue in N.B.
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer
The North Brunswick Republican Organization is calling on the Democratic Township Council candidates to return any contributions they received from former state Senate President John Lynch and a political action committee he founded.
Lynch pleaded guilty Sept. 15 to federal charges of tax evasion and mail fraud after investigators determined he accepted bribes to lobby for the approval of projects proposed by a South Brunswick sand mining company. Through Lynch’s political action committee New Directions for Responsible Leadership, over $20,000 has been given to the Democratic political and social organizations since 2002, with direct assistance given to the previous campaigns of Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack, Carlo Socio and Rhonda Lyles, according to state election records.
Although Womack does not deny that the money was received, he said, “Certainly at the time, John was neither under indictment or pled guilty to anything, and those contributions never came with any strings attached in any way.”
Socio, who is running for re-election in November, said that to the best of his knowledge, no money has been received from Lynch or his PAC for this year’s campaign.
“I wish I could say that I was surprised by [Republican Chairman] Pete Maimone once again attempting to turn the voters’ attention away from the issues which really matter, the residents’ quality of life in our township,” he said.

“Just look at the accomplishments, which we have instituted since taking office, like pursuing and winning $6.7 million in business tax appeals, conducting a complete reconstruction of our pocket parks, banning trucks on Adams Lane, fighting to open government by televising planning and zoning meetings, securing over $1 million in new grant money, and topping all of that passing a pay-to-play ordinance and the first limits ever on campaign contributions in North Brunswick,” Socio said.

The Democrats countered by citing the receipt of funds by the Republican Organization from various developers, specifically Halpern, the largest developer in the township, which completed the Renaissance development on Route 130.

“It is an important point in my mind, simply, that we were reformers in North Brunswick and we worked hard to make that change, and we do not take any money from developers, which is a sharp contrast to the Republicans,” Womack said.

Yet Maimone said that the difference in their receipt of $8,000 in contributions is that “developers received no benefits and received no promises of return.”

In addition, the Republicans claim that over $35,000 came from Lynch’s partner in founding New Directions, Alfred DeCotiis, a chief counsel to former Gov. James McGreevey, and that his law firm of DeCotiis, Fitzpatrick, Cole and Wisler was subsequently hired to handle all North Brunswick Township legal business. Also, CME Engineering, another longtime Lynch ally, serves as the primary engineer within the township.

Although 2006 Republican candidates Tom O’Neill and Matthew “Skip” House acknowledge that award of no-bid professional service contracts is legal, they question whether the contributions are “dirty money.”

“As an organization, the NBRO looks forward to returning integrity, honesty, and balance to our local government,” Maimone said.

However, Socio said that DeCotiis was hired after a member of the council used the firm for a personal issue and respected their work, and that CME was in place before the 2003 election.

The Republicans are suggesting that any contributions received should be returned either as contributions to charities or to nonpartisan government watchdog groups. The Republicans say that if the Democrats are serious about “doing the right thing,” they “wouldn’t think twice about acting on this call.”

Womack said that because Lynch is now considered a guilty party, he would reconsider accepting any funds from the PAC next year.

“I would have to look into it,” he said.
This is from the Hudson Reporter showing that John Lynch and Joseph Ferriero were friendly and working together as Democratic Party Power Brokers.
Lynch, a power broker from Middlesex, rose to the height of power in 2001 after he allied himself with South Jersey’s Norcross and Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero.
http://bayonnecommunitynews.com/view/full_story/2400183/matchbin
Don’t discount the golf connection to the original investors. Here is an article related to John Lynch golfing with a Bergen County Political person named Alan Marcus. Golf has always been know for connecting people and business.
Republican lobbyist Alan Marcus recalled the day in 2000 when he played golf with Lynch and Lynch told him he would not run for re-election, at the same time McGreevey appeared on the verge of being elected governor.

“He said it was time to go. He wanted to spend more time with Matthew. I told him, “You will rue the day and so will McGreevey.’ The minute you’re out, you’re out,” Marcus said. Click Here for the full article from the Asbury Park Press.

For one thing, Marcus said, it removed Lynch’s label. Rather than call him senator, the handy way to describe him became “boss.”
Kathleen Anderson and her husband donated to Rider University’s golf program. Kathleen Anderson also originally had her company in Woodbridge a strong hold for Lynch in Middlesex County.
Click Here for an article from Rider about their donation to the golf center.
Anderson, who has been elected to join the Rider Board of Trustees beginning on July 1, has proven to be a passionate member of the University family. He and his wife, Kathy, donated the lead gift for the golf facility in the Maurer Center, and together, are the lead donor for the Athletics Strength and Conditioning Center. The Andersons have also opened their home in Florida to Rider’s golf team during its spring break trips and served as host for an Athletics Campaign Preview event at the Rainbow Room in New York.
Click Here for the full interview of Ed McKenna speaking about his 5 golf club memberships
I hear you’re a golfer.
Oh, yeah. Big. It’s my passion. I started when I was 36, I think. I actually belong to five golf clubs, three in Ireland. I go to Ireland three times a year to play golf. Click Here to see Ed McKenna donating a round of Golf at Due Process Golf Course in Colts Neck NJ>

And Finally to bring this full circle. We have Ed McKenna who was friends with John Lynch. John Lynch was friends with Joseph Ferriero which now explains the Middlesex County and Bergen County connection to a small development of affordable housing in Red Bank as well as possibly the use of C3 holdings the Borough of Red Bank’s website provider and accused of paying kickback’s to Joseph Ferriero as per the Federal Indictment filed against Ferriero in September 2013.

You are Judged by the Company you Keep McKenna Cryan and Mendendez Round Table

In a round table meeting held on March 19th 2013 to discuss immigration featuring Ed McKenna (former Mayor of Red Bank), Joe Cryan (NJ Assemblyman) and Robert Menendez (US Senator from NJ) . It is interesting that Ed McKenna surrounds himself with people who have questionable ethics. Currently Robert Menendez has been rumored to be a target of a federal investigation into illegal campaign donations and forgot to pay nearly $60,000 for reimbursements on trips to the Dominican Republic. Just days after this meeting Joseph Cryan became a familiar name due to the release of personal emails related to a possible former girlfriend who was prosecuted for stalking Mr. Cryan.

Previously Ed McKenna was very friendly with Jon Corzine (former Gov of NJ) and John Lynch (former NJ State Senator and convicted criminal) Jon Corzine left office to lead MF Global into a 1.6 billion dollar collapse. While Lynch was in prison Corzine paid Lynch’s wife $10,000 a month . John Lynch’s brother-in-law was alledgedly the leader of the NJ Genovese Crime Family

At some point you have to question why people you associate with always have investigations or convictions and at best questionable actions. Ed McKenna has had his run-ins with the law as well. He previously refused to come to the door when the State Police visited him to investigate a hit and run accident on the Garden State Parkway.

Lie with Dogs, Get Fleas

According to a post on the Monmouth County Republican blog, early in Ed McKenna’s career he was not a Democrat and was not happy to have John Curley  switch Parties as well.  

Ed McKenna, as Mayor, yelled at Jennifer Beck when she gave residents an opportunity to raise issues they had with the zoning board during the BLT hearings.

Here is an article from the Asbury Park Press covering the controversy of the Cedar Crossings development

Red Bank council holds off on $2.4 million land deal
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/2/06
BY LARRY HIGGS
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

RED BANK — The borough’s proposal to explore buying a nearly 2-acre tract to use for affordable housing has been put off — for now — amid questions over its price, possible conflicts of interest and other issues.

Borough Attorney Kenneth Pringle is to examine the issues raised by residents and some council members after the Borough Council delayed a vote to authorize experts to begin the purchase process of the 1.93-acre Cedar Crossings site between Cedar and Catherine streets. The council was to have voted at its Sept. 25 meeting.

“I know it’s a tough time to make a decision with the politics in town,” said Ben Forest of Locust Avenue, referring to the upcoming mayoral election. “But it’s too important a decision to let that contaminate the process.”

Forest told the council last week that he favored waiting two weeks for Pringle’s advice on conflict of interest.

“Let’s make sure it’s done right, and it will turn out terrific,” said Forest, who also is a borough Board of Education member.

Questions about the site have focused on the cost, environmental issues, its viability and whether Councilman Robert J. Bifani has a conflict of interest on the project. Bifani abstained from last week’s vote to delay authorizing the land purchase.

“I’m not crazy about sticking affordable housing in a light-industrial area,” said Steven Fitzpatrick of Chestnut Street.

Fitzpatrick, who’s been dubbed “the ethics police” by some officials, regularly researches contributions make by developers, land owners and their professionals to local campaigns and political action committees. In researching the Cedar Crossings tract, he determined that Bifani, a vice president of Mid-State Solar Distributors, has a conflict because the company is next door to the tract and its value could rise if Cedar Crossings is built.

APPLICATION ON HOLD

The Cedar Crossings site lies behind three residential streets and has a railroad line and industrial and commercial properties nearby. The current owners’ application calls for a 36-unit townhouse development and is before the borough Zoning Board of Adjustment. However, it’s been put on hold by the applicant, Cedar Crossings at Red Bank LLC, pending negotiations to sell the site to the borough.

Borough officials have applied for a $2.4 million state grant to buy the property, and if that grant is approved, the land would be turned over to the Red Bank Housing Authority for construction. The purchase would include not only the land but the townhouse design work and blueprints.

Mayor Edward J. McKenna Jr. said the proposal represents a rare chance to buy one of the town’s few vacant pieces of land with state funds and build affordable housing, which could satisfy about half of the 74 units the state says the borough is obligated to provide.

“This is effectively a gift of $2.4 million to develop affordable housing,” McKenna said at last week’s council meeting. “It would be unwise to take a pass on this property.”

Bifani declined to comment on the conflict of interest and land ownership issue, on the advice of his attorney.

“My attorney said I shouldn’t talk about it,” Bifani said in an interview Tuesday. “I abstained from voting on it.”

The Cedar Crossings tract was assembled through the purchase of four pieces of vacant land, including one owned by Mid-State Solar. That parcel was bought for $52,500 in January 2002, according to an appraisal done for the borough by Gagliano Appraisal LLC of Shrewsbury in June.

A 2ND TOWNHOUSE PLAN

Fitzpatrick pointed out that the attorney representing Cedar Crossings, Martin A. McGann Jr. of Middletown, also represents another nearby development application by Matrix LLC on Bridge Avenue. In that application, Matrix proposes to buy the Mid-State building and build townhouses.

The zoning board put off the Matrix application last week to sort out a conflict-of-interest issue between McGann and Board Attorney Kevin Kennedy, who is McGann’s tenant.

“If they approve the affordable housing property, it will affect the value of Bifani’s property,” Fitzpatrick said.

At the council meeting, McKenna was dismissive of Fitzpatrick’s findings that contributions were made to county political action committees by principals of Cedar Crossings at Red Bank LLC. The principals are Robert L. Nicholson of Shrewsbury, Joseph A. Campanella Jr. of Little Falls, and Riverside Capital Management LLC, which is made up of Peter Shapiro, Kathleen Anderson and Ted A. Smith, all of Shrewsbury, according to zoning board files.

Fitzpatrick got the information, which he read at last week’s meeting, by researching reports filed with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission. A review of information on that Web site showed that Integrated Development Concepts LLC, which was later renamed Cedar Crossings, donated $250 to the Monmouth County Council of Democratic Leaders in 2003. It also showed a $500 donation from Robert Nicholson to the same group.

But Councilman Arthur Murphy III said during the meeting that there is no way to tell if that money was earmarked for Red Bank candidates or not.

“You think that because someone gave someone 500 bucks, that’s going to influence anyone up here?” McKenna asked Fitzpatrick at the meeting.

OTHER CONCERNS RAISED

The property’s environmental issues may be wrapped up pending one more soil and water test. Meanwhile, the borough engineer’s review of the plans raised design concerns.

Depending on what is found, the price could vary from the $2.45 million, which some officials said is too high.

“I’d like to see a delay so we can get more information, and we can see that this is a clean, honest deal benefiting those who need affordable housing and . . . not a rip-off of the taxpayers who provide money for the grants,” said Councilman John P. Curley, a Republican candidate for mayor.

If it passes muster, Curley said he might vote for the plan.

His Democratic opponent, council President Pasquale “Pat” Menna, supports the project and said it will anchor the area, the way converting the old River Street School into affordable housing helped 15 years ago. That was also accomplished with state funds

“That area does need continued stabilization. If we go forward, that (borough project) will be a second anchor and a boon to the community,” Menna said at the council meeting. “We should have that long-term perspective and be proactive.”

Fitzpatrick and Curley questioned the $2.4 million appraisal for the land. McKenna said the borough would also pay $50,000 for all of the developer’s engineering and design work.

“That’s a damn expensive set of blueprints,” Curley said in an interview. “We shouldn’t pay $2.45 million for a piece of ground.”

“There are a series of checks (and balances) in it (the process),” McKenna said. “The DCA has to accept the (appraisal) number. The appraiser is highly respected, and I feel confident on it.”

The property is one test away from being given a clean bill of health by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Those soil and monitoring well tests are scheduled to be done in a week, said Chris Dwyer, case manager for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Site contamination includes metals, which had been buried on the property, and volatile organic chemicals, which leaked from a gasoline storage tank. Both the tank and contaminated soil have been removed, Dwyer said.

“They have one clean round of testing from the groundwater monitoring well by the gas tank (location),” Dwyer said. “We’re waiting for a report with post-excavation (test results) and another round of clean ground water (from a monitoring well).

If those tests are clean, the DEP will issue a “no future action required” letter, he said.

ENGINEER RAISES CONCERNS

Borough Engineer Richard Kosenski, in a report to the zoning board, questioned designs for the one-, two- and three- bedroom townhouses, noting the application would need seven variances because it doesn’t meet borough zoning standards.

Among his concerns were that the ground-floor units were smaller than the minimum 700 square feet of habitable floor area required, and that 88 percent of the units were three-bedroom units, while zoning says that number can’t exceed 50 percent.

Kosenski noted buffer areas provided between the proposed townhouses and the railroad and neighboring commercial and industrial properties are “not adequate for this site.” He pointed out the plans call for no buffer zone between industrial properties and the proposed townhouses.

The plans also call for allowing nearby industries, which use the site to gain access to loading zones, to continue that practice.

“Industrial traffic mixing with residential-use traffic is not acceptable inside the proposed development,” Kosenski wrote.

The developer would also need a density variance from the zoning board because the application calls for building more units than the 10 per acre permitted by zoning.

McKenna said the borough would build fewer than 36 townhouses on the property.

The property also would have to be examined by experts from Red Bank and the state Department of Community Affairs before a deal is finalized.

“We know the site has issues, and the contract will have contingencies. It must be environmentally clean,” McKenna said. “We will have our own engineer look it over to make sure it is fit for what we want to do.”

Red Bank’s application is under review by the Council on Affordable Housing, and the site has not been evaluated yet, said Chris Donnelly, Department of Community Affairs spokesman.

COAH doesn’t have minimum size standards for affordable units but defers to municipal building codes, Donnelly said. There are no regulations about the proximity of affordable housing sites to railroad or industrial property, but the distance and compatibility will be evaluated as part of the overall site suitability study, he said.

At another Council Meeting regarding the Cedar Crossing Project, Ed McKenna got into an argument with Councilman John Curley when questions were raised about the town overpaying for a development property in Red Bank. The people John Curley refers to as “middlemen” are affiliated with Progress Realty Advisors in Shrewsbury. They are involved in funding large development projects through out NJ and beyond. One of the people involved in the beginning is involved in municipal bonds. Another person now works at a company involved with government financing as well. It seems most of the people in the original cedar crossing llc company had involvement in government work. The company was originally known as Allied Commercial Capital based in Woodbridge, NJ. BLUE BELL, Pa., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ — Progress Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: PFNC) through its commercial mortgage banking subsidiary, Progress Realty Advisors, Inc., announced today that it has acquired Allied Commercial Capital, L.L.C. and Allied Asset Management, Inc. Both companies, which are based in Woodbridge, New Jersey, specialize in originating, underwriting and closing real estate financing for multi-family and commercial properties, as well as residential development financing in New Jersey and New York. Kathleen M. Anderson and Peter M. Shapiro, the principals of Allied, will be responsible for managing Progress Realty Advisors Northern Division, based in Allied’s former offices in Woodbridge Another company based out of the same office as Progress Realty Advisors is Riverside Capital Management. One of the clients of Progress Realty Advisors is River Developers who was named the redeveloper of Pleasantville. The cedar crossing property would eventually be purchased for 2.4 million using grant money for affordable housing from the State of NJ. While Mayor of the town McKenna pushed for the zoning change and purchase only to create the Red Bank Affordable Housing Corporation in early 2007 which developed the property. When it was discussed that the town should buy the property it was revealed that the Red Bank Housing Authority would develop the property which turned out not to be true. The Red Bank Housing Authority will manage the association upon completion. McKenna’s Red Bank Affordable Housing Corporation was given the property from the Borough of Red Bank for $1. Another property owned by the town, 51 Monmouth Street which is the former police station, was sold to Ed McKenna’s Kids Bridge charity for $1 and is now being sold for over 1 million dollars.  After allowing the former Mayor to create Non-Profits to acquire township land, they are now complaining there are too many non-profits not paying real estate taxes.

The Red Bank Affordable Housing Corporation has some interesting partners. William Katchen, a CPA from North Jersey had been suspended 1990 by the Federal Government regarding working with housing authorities. In 2008, he was also involved with the Paramus Affordable Housing Corporation which was subject to an FBI investigation. In 2006, Katchen held the follow public jobs and the income generated 

WILLIAM KATCHEN $175,479 Secaucus Bergen Vocational Schools internal auditor / Cliffside Park Housing Authority accountant / Edgewater Borough MUA director / Edgewater Housing Authority fee accountant / Englewood Housing Authority accountant / Garfield Housing Authority accountant

William Katchen is also involved in the Affordable Housing of Metropolitan Edgwater Inc located at 300 Undercliff Avenue in Cliffside Park, NJ He is also involved in the Neighborhood Friendship Affordable Housing Corp in Cliffside Park and appears to have charged nearly $9,000 for accounting work.

Frank Borin of the Decotiis Law Firm in North Jersey is also a member of the Red Bank Affordable Housing Corporation. Why would the headquarters of Red Bank Affordable Housing Corporation be in Cliffside Park NJ and why would these people be involved in the project? rb 10-101resolution[1]

Ed McKenna’s law firm has worked for many towns including Tinton Falls. According to an Asbury Park Press story regarding the CECOM Development  Ansell said the borough’s top administrators — including former Borough Attorney Edward J. McKenna Jr., who also is the mayor of Red Bank — knew about Abrams’ involvement with Leser.
McKenna denied it.
“Absolutely not. I knew nothing about that. I was the borough attorney, not redevelopment counsel. That was separate,” McKenna said. “I had no knowledge of his (Abrams) involvement.”
McKenna added if he’d known about Abrams’ involvement, “I would have told him to step down.” Ultimately it resulted in a lengthy legal case.

Ed McKenna ran for the Chairman of the Monmouth County Democrats in 2000 but lost to Victor Scudiery. From Congressman Pallone’s wiki page in 2000, Pallone endorsed and strongly supported incumbent Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Victor V. Scudiery over then Red Bank Mayor Edward McKenna, who had the support of Middlesex County Powerbroker/Pallone enemy John Lynch and South Jersey Powerbroker George Norcross. Scudiery was re-elected county chairman by a 2 to 1 margin.  John Lynch plead guilty to fraud in 2006 due to an FBI investigation which involved Red Bank. The investigation also involved River Street Commons an adult affordable housing project located just down the street from the Cedar Crossings Project.  John Lynch and Alfred Decotiis of the Decotiis Law Firm created a political action committee known as New Directions for Responsible Leadership. John Lynch and Jack Westlake a business partner from Red Bank were helping Cherokee in a development project as well as other developers. OENJ Cherokee is a related corporation to the Encap project that the Decotiis Law Firm represented at the meadowlands. Frank Borin of the Decotiis Law Firm would become a member of Red Bank Affordable Housing Corporation and charge fees to the non-profit organization. John Lynch had created a web of corporations in the City of New Brunswick where he was once mayor (1979-1990) and then his cousin James Cahill became mayor of the town for at least 6 terms. A lot of people came together as a result of Governor McGreevey. McGreevey was from Woodbridge and was endorsed originally by John Lynch for Governor. Michael Decotiis was chief counsel in his administration and George Norcross also endorsed McGreevey. Lynch and Norcross then wanted McGreevey out during his scandal. The Decotiis and Lynch friendship goes back decades.  It has also led to additional employment in Middlesex County for the Decotiis firm.  Their paths along with Lynch’s friend Jack Morris would cross again in Edison where a questionable appraisal resulted in milions of dollars in profit for Morris. Robert Decotiis was the head of Lynch’s New Directions in Leadership PAC at the time Lynch was under investigation. Red Bank Borough officials have also crossed paths with the Decotiis firm at the NJ Turnpike Authority. In a rather odd event in Sayreville, the Decotiis Law firm was being replaced by the McKenna firm while mayor Menna’s firm was also bidding on the job. Sayreville’s Mayor called Michael Dupont’s appointment politically motivated. Click Here to understand the various connections made during the McGreevey administration to understand how complicated the NJ political system is including John Lynch and George Norcross involvement with Commerce Bank and the Decotiis law firm. George Norcross is involved in the NJ Democratic Party in South Jersey. and was recorded making various threats.

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.