Resident flags parking concerns for Holy Spirit Church redevelopment; shade tree commission asks for grant writer and forester

A resident raised concerns during public participation about a redevelopment study for the former Holy Spirit Church, saying the developer’s survey did not account for parking impacts in nearby residential blocks. Separately, the Environmental Shade Tree Commission asked the city for help securing a grant writer and access to a forester; council members said they were exploring a shared grant-writer arrangement with the Board of Education.

At the microphone, Jacob Cohen of 1 Lincoln Court, Long Branch, told the council he supports saving the Holy Spirit Church building but said he worried the developer-prepared study did not adequately reflect neighborhood conditions. Cohen said the traffic/parking counts cited in the report were taken during a limited window — “Friday the 22nd for three hours in the afternoon, and Saturday the 23rd between 11:00 and 4:30,” as recorded in the transcript — and he said the surrounding blocks have little off-street parking. He asked the city to consider parking limits or other restrictions if the site is converted to uses that would increase demand, such as offices or a 50‑seat café. Mayor John Moore replied that Cohen’s comments were noted and that staff would reach out before the item returns to the agenda.

Tom Pavinsky, chair of the Environmental Shade Tree Commission, told the council the commission needs help writing grants and wants access to a forester to assess hazardous trees. Pavinsky said the commission has strong volunteer support for planting and maintaining urban trees but lacks staff or technical capacity to pursue available environmental funding; he asked the council to secure a grant writer and a forester on an as‑needed basis. Mayor Moore and council members responded that the city is looking at a joint consultant arrangement with the Board of Education to share the cost of a grant writer/consultant and that appointing a volunteer grant writer to the commission could be considered.

Other speakers during public participation: Thomas Yacolo, representing Brookdale Community College’s president David Stout, congratulated the council and invited Mayor Moore to Brookdale’s Monmouth Mayors’ Summit on April 10; Felicia Simmons, executive director of WCC Historic Innovation Association (formerly the Westside Community Center), said the organization will announce events and invitations in February and asked to work with the council on preservation and community programming; and several residents offered congratulations to the newly sworn council members.

Why it matters

Public comments flagged procedural and technical concerns that could affect planning and redevelopment outcomes: who produces and validates development impact studies, how parking demand is counted and whether conditions require limits on future uses. The shade tree commission’s request points to a common municipal gap — limited in‑house grant-writing capacity and technical forestry support — that can constrain environmental work and grant-funded tree-planting projects.

What the council said it would do

- Mayor John Moore said staff would note Cohen’s concerns and follow up when the redevelopment item is agendized. - Council and staff discussed pursuing a joint grant‑writing consultant shared with the Board of Education to reduce cost and increase grant-seeking capacity.

Public-service details noted on the record

- MLK Day of Service: staging at Mount Carmel Parish House on Asbury Avenue; volunteer training at 8:00 a.m.; distribution process begins at 9:00 a.m. (announced during council comments). - Brookdale Monmouth Mayors’ Summit: April 10 (invitation delivered by a Brookdale representative).

The remarks in public participation were recorded in the meeting transcript; no formal council action was taken on these items during the session.