Eminent Domain Option To Be Nixed, No Referendum Needed In Belmar

BELMAR, NJ – The Belmar borough council introduced an ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting that would repeal an ordinance passed a month ago, giving the borough the authority to use eminent domain, if needed, to acquire the former Belmar First Aid building.

This introduction comes after a petition with 424 signatures of registered voters was brought to the council that called for a November referendum vote on the ordinance two weeks ago.

“We have a first reading on rescinding the ordinance on eminent domain that we put into place,” Belmar mayor Mark Walsifer said at the meeting.

“After we got the petition, we discussed it and said, you know what, let’s continue to negotiate without it.”

According to borough attorney Patrick Varga, with the introduction of the ordinance to repeal the previous ordinance, there is no longer a need for a referendum vote to take place.