Eminent Domain Abuse still harming Lighthouse Mission & Rev. Brown in Long Branch, New Jersey.

Here I am one year after Mayor Adam Schnieder's council/redevelopment team had us evicted from our church owned property located at 162 Broadway in Long Branch. The eminent domain taking was for The Katz Family owned Siperstien's Paints development plan for our block. Over 50 properties were envolved in this plan, 40% already owned by the Katz Family.

Apparently Larry & Todd (his son) couldn't acquire them all through normal market land purchases, so they had their buddy, Mayor Adam Schneider, declare the area "needing redevelopment." In doing so, they benefitted by the spoiled legislation enacted previously in the 70's and early 90's by State Government, where emenent domain became abusive and caused a redefinition of "public use" (schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, government facilities) - to "public purpose."

The public purpose here, is to re zone, increase density & extract greater property tax revenues for local government. While the designated development "partner" makes a ton of private profit!

The State legislature has said the statutes are in need of correction so as to better serve those property owners who are being abused in this flawed process. I being one of the abused.

A year ago the city told Judge Lawson, that they needed to have us removed by court order because they had to break ground by year end 2008. The Judge gave me 5 hours to vacate, all while a challenge of the action was on appeal in a higher court! The appeal has been briefed - yet not argued as I write this. I am reduced to being economically destroyed as the building taken was the sole source of revenue for the mission. Without revenue no one makes it. In addition, because the building was three parts within, I lost my home and have been living in a travel trailer for close to a year.

To date The Katz plan, known as Broadway Arts Center, has yet to "break ground." Recently a local official admitted that it would most likely be years into the future before Broadway Arts picks up the ball and starts running with it!"

Does any one else see how wrong this is?

When will the State actually fix the statutes and begin to undo the damage done to private property owners in New Jersey? How do you make right what was so obviously wrong when it occurred? I am happy to see the beach front residencial owners known as MTOTSA appear to have stopped the abuse against themselves, but what about the ones who have fallen through the cracks?

May God be merciful and grant justice.