A prominent Victorian structure on East Front Street is on the agenda for the next Red Bank planning board meeting.Â
What’s Going On Here? Click ‘read more’ for the answer. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
Hackensack Meridian Health, which owns the nearby Riverview Medical Center, bought the property, along with the red brick office building at 91 East Front Street just to its west, for $2.65 million in July, 2015, as reported by redbankgreen.
Despite its ownership by a nonprofit, the property, assessed at $1.33 million, is not tax-exempt, and borough records indicate that Meridian paid $29,000 in property taxes on it in 2018.
The 4,000-square-foot structure overlooking the Navesink River was built in 1901, according to property records, and at some point was divided up into five apartments.
Now, according to a filing with the borough planning and zoning office, Meridian wants to demolish the vacant structure. Under borough ordinance, site plan approvals are required for demolition of any dwelling of two or more units.
No plan to develop the property has been filed, officials said. Once demolition is completed, the site will be hydraseeded and “left empty,” according to Meridian’s application.
Nor has a request to demolish or otherwise alter the office building next door been filed, town officials said.
The application is scheduled to be heard at 7 p.m. on Monday, February 4 at borough hall.
Also on the agenda is a proposal by the owner of an oversized lot at 81 West Westside Avenue to demolish an existing house, subdivide the property and build three new homes.
