Huelsenbeck: Eminent Domain May be Last Resort for Ship Bottom
“Ship Bottom Mayor William Huelsenbeck says he has always been against taking the eminent domain route in securing easements from oceanfront property owners for a federal and state beach replenishment project, but he appears to be rethinking that position as the borough has been stuck on 11 holdouts for several months.
“It will depend on what happens in Harvey Cedars,” he said.
He was referring to the New Jersey Supreme Court decision last month overturning a Superior Court ruling that determined the borough had to pay $375,000 in compensation to Harvey and Phyllis Karan for having a portion of their property taken for beach replenishment by the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Protection after the Karans refused to sign an easement. The $1.7 million residence was one of 11 properties seized by Harvey Cedars through eminent domain in a process that began in July 2008. The beach replenishment project was completed in 2010.
The state’s highest court remanded the matter to the Superior Court.
“A lot of people will be interested to see how this case is resolved, what the final compensation decision will be,” Huelsenbeck said. “I have been dead set against eminent domain because I thought it would be too costly, but maybe now it won’t be.”
Recently, DEP representatives held a meeting in Ship Bottom to discuss concerns with the easement holdouts, but just two showed up – Dorothy Jedziniak and Stephen Voda.”
Sandpaper.net 22 August 2013.