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Red Bank planning board recommends council designate two blocks as "in need of rehabilitation"
Summary
The planning board voted Sept. 10 to recommend that borough council designate Block 1 Lot 1 and adjacent blocks as areas "in need of rehabilitation," citing substandard conditions and underutilization; public commenters including the Red Bank NAACP urged delaying action to address displacement risks.
The Red Bank Planning Board voted Sept. 10 to recommend that borough council designate two parcels — including Block 1, Lot 1 and adjacent blocks — as areas "in need of rehabilitation" under the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law.
Staff told the board the borough-council-drafted resolution is in the meeting packet and that the two sites meet at least two of the law's six criteria, including substandard condition and environmental/brownfield concerns. A staff member summarized the board's options and the statute's timeline, saying the board may recommend changes or take no action (after 45 days council may act without the board's approval).
The recommendation matters because the designation is a preliminary step that can enable future redevelopment planning. "A proposal, a resolution is only needed from council for the designation," a staff member said while reviewing the master-plan consistency and statutory tests.
William Poku, identifying himself as president of the Red Bank NAACP, urged the board to table the resolution until the community and the NAACP are consulted. "This resolution is not appropriate at this time," Poku said, arguing that prior redevelopment approvals will be challenged and warning the loss of "missing-middle" affordable housing has contributed to a substantial drop in the borough's Black population since 2000.
Board members discussed adjacency to a larger rehabilitation area and the lighter-touch "rehabilitation" designation compared with a redevelopment designation. One committee member said the board's review focused on whether the parcels meet the statutory definition, not on implementing a redevelopment plan.
After discussion the board moved to recommend the council designation. The clerk recorded a roll-call vote in favor: Christina Bonitakis (yes), Lou Dimento (yes), Barbara Boas (yes), Megan Massey (yes), Itzel/Enzo Hernandez (yes) and Fred Stone (yes). (Several members were absent and not recorded on the roll call.)
Next steps: the board's recommendation will be transmitted to borough council; council may hold its own public hearing and take final action under the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law.
