Specter of Eminent Domain Haunts Long Branch Mayoral Race (Part I)
“It is almost tradition at this point: every four years, Long Branch inevitably finds itself a city divided. With the non-partisan mayoral election now less than a month away, the showdown between those who support the incumbent and those who back the challenger is almost preordained. True, such is typical of electoral races, though the seaside city has seen more than its fair share of exceptionally divisive, polarizing contests over the years; nasty campaigns from as far back as two decades are still discussed to this day, their ramifications readily visible.
Emotions run so high during Long Branch’s short campaign season for a number of reasons, though the memory of the controversial redevelopment plan, launched in the late 1990s, is the most easy to pinpoint. Though still technically a work in progress, the city’s reinvention completely altered the makeup of several neighborhoods, not by chance, but by design. Through the use of eminent domain, the city targeted entire communities for mandatory demolition, and in some cases succeeded in doing just that, with the intention of replacing them with pricey town homes and upscale condominiums. It was a chapter of history that many residents, particularly those who live in the redevelopment zones, remember vividly.”
Mikolay, Dennis. Atlantic Highlands Herald 26 April 2014.