Motel Owner Files Legal Complaint Against Point Beach

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ – The owners of the Amethyst Beach Motel filed a complaint in Ocean County Superior Court on Tuesday against the borough of Point Pleasant Beach in response to the approval of an ordinance that would pave the way for the borough to acquire the property.

At the April 20 council meeting, the borough council approved an ordinance giving the town permission to get the property where the hotel is located through either negotiation or eminent domain.

The filing by John Fernicola, owner of the Amethyst, was done to prevent the town from shutting down the motel and stop the town from taking the property as it doesn’t fall in line with the borough’s parking plan.

The filing also has affidavits from Council members Robert Santanello and Thomas Migut supporting the hotel and stating that the real reason for wanting the property was not due to parking but rather because of the motel being the source of numerous police calls.

“Mr. Fernicola and his cronies, Mr. Santanello and Mr. Migut, continue to try and pretend that police calls during the pandemic motivated the Borough to acquire his property. But that is simply not the truth, no matter how many times they bring it up and try and insert it into the conversation and legal proceedings. The truth remains, Mr. Fernicola was pushing for the Borough to buy his property for parking from the very beginning of our interactions with him,” Mayor Paul Kanitra in a statement to Patch.

“Mr. Santanello obviously knows that the Borough is acquiring the property for parking. He literally stated when he voted “no” that if the acquisition was because of the problems at the motel, he would have voted yes, but he voted no because it wasn’t for the reason he had hoped,” Kanitra continued.

“No matter how many times Mr. Fernicola and his cronies weirdly try and use the craziness of the Amethyst to their advantage, it will never override the fact that the Borough desperately needs parking and his property is contiguously located next to the second-largest revenue generator for the town, the Little Silver Lake lot. It’s clear as day for anyone to see, and we believe strongly this lawsuit will be dismissed quickly,” the mayor concluded.

The borough has 35 days to answer the complaint filed by Fernicola, who is seeking the voiding of the ordinance plus compensation and punitive damages.