Council sends Holy Spirit Church redevelopment to planning board amid parking and tax concerns

A majority of the Asbury Park Mayor and City Council voted to send a developer’s revised proposal for the former Holy Spirit Church site at 701–705 Second Avenue to the city planning board for a study of whether the property qualifies as an area in need of redevelopment.

The referral — Resolution 2025-209 — passed 3–2 on April 16, with Council members Chapman, Clayton and Deputy Mayor Quinn voting yes and Council member Bez Anderson and Mayor Moore voting no. The referral asks the planning board to investigate Block 2703, Lot 3701705 and report back; it does not approve a redevelopment plan, a pilot agreement or any tax relief.

The vote followed a developer presentation and an hour-plus of public comment in which residents raised parking, traffic and school-tax concerns and supporters emphasized preservation and housing need. Planning consultant Beth McManus told the council the resolution would "authorize [the] planning board to study whether the site qualified as an area needed for development" and that designation and any pilot would come back to council for further votes.

Developers Joe Savannah and Ozzy Yacine said the project had been revised since a prior presentation. Savannah said the project now proposes 80 units (down from 90 in an earlier version) and an increase in parking supply. He described parking rules as: "1 parking space for…