So the story of the day is restaurant plans for HoJo moving ahead. After I got through fuming at the fact that most of the maneuvers of late, before the council as well, have been to force down the throats of the planning board a plan to rehab the lower level of the 5th Ave pavilion in slap-dab scenario, I realized the bigger issue. At the last planning board meeting I said that I thought the push for the quick and dirty rehab was an effort on Asbury Partners to woo MM into signing their contract. But it seems now that MM, having given up on the Partners fullfilling their contractual obligations to the City, has joined their chorus in asking the planning board for the same makeshift-style rehab. Once again, time is of the essence. Hurry, hurry, no time to deliberate or get us to go with what we've agreed to do in the past - what we're contracted, o bligated to do. Just give us this break now and we'll love you for it later. We'll make you happy wait and see. Where have I heard that one? Back to the article. The Big Issue is that there isn't any restaurant deal sealed yet. Thank you Nancy for making that clear. It's March in two days. Not only is it impossible to do any decent rehab by Memorial Day - well if you were really committed and didn't mind double spending to make it happen... Sure, Fishman has spared no expense so far... But what legitimate restauranteur is going to commit now to breaking their necks to install and have staffed and operational a new restaurant, built to someone else's directions and specifications, by Memorial Day? How can they commit to open in a space they haven't even seen? I'm not talking about a shell - a workable environment that they don't have to adapt at all! Would anyone on this board take such a chance? So I can only assume that this is not about opening a restaurant. It's about letting Asbury Partners do that slipshod job they've always intended to do. This is about keeping Asbury Partners from missing their deadline and being held to their obligation to open a restaurant there by Memorial Day or be in default. It's always a big hurry - the budget won't balance unless we sell them this now... Remember that one? How about, "Hurry, no you can't ask any more questions the planner has to fly back to Florida now." Well, you know what? We can take our time and find our own restauranteur and designer/builder and produce a very nice restaurant ourselves with the space we take back from the Partners for default and the fine they have to pay us. Planning Board - stick to your guns. Matt Berman - you were so right, don't buckle now. Terry Reidy, you said it like it is. The plan didn't make sense. Don't rush folks, cause it won't be done to satisfaction anyway. We've waited this long for results. We'll wait to get it done right. Maureen
Maureen Nevin Asbury Radio -"The Radio Voice of Asbury Park" 88.1FM - "6" Years on the Air!! Asbury's Own Live Talk Showmailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 601 Bangs Avenue Listen 8 - 10 PM Thursdays on 88.1FM or Listen Live or Later on the Web http://www.asburyradio.com/ Call the show 732-775-0821 Call me 732-774-0779 fax 502-0463 Speak up - It's America!!
