BELMAR — The borough council Tuesday introduced an ordinance to lease and operate the unoccupied concession space at the north end of Taylor Pavilion to a nonprofit for $1.
A public hearing on the ordinance, which would lease the former La Playa concession space to the nonprofit Circle of Friends, has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 27 at 6:30 p.m. The plan triggered debate during Tuesday’s meeting.
The Circle of Friends is a nonprofit organization that supports the needs of disabled adults in the community. The group sought a summer lease on the vacated concession space for its volunteers.
Mayor Gerald Buccafusco said the vacant concession location had been put out to bid twice and was advertised in both The Coast Star and The Asbury Park Press for a total of four times from Feb. 18 to March 30. Municipal Clerk April Claudio said that these advertisements had also been posted on the borough’s website and related social media.
As of the second bid deadline on April 6, the borough had received no bids for the vacant space, officials said.
According to the mayor, a successful bid for the concession, formerly operated by La Playa, would have generated a total of $30,000 for the borough for a six-month lease.
Mayor Buccafusco said that he had discussed the situation with Borough Administrator Kevin Kane at that time and they had together decided not to attempt a third bid. Instead, they planned to consider converting the space to year-round bathrooms at the pavilion.
However, at the April 25 council meeting, former Belmar mayor Matt Doherty approached the council on behalf of the nonprofit with the proposal to lease the space the Circle of Friends, for operation as a concession in order to raise funds for its charitable activities. This resulted in the ordinance introduced Tuesday night.
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