MARGATE: Mini-Golf Debate (merged threads, same topic)

[Ssssssolicitor]

I just got home from Philadelphia and didnt make it to the meeting today. Will the organizers let people know what happened?

[Ssssssolicitor]

Originally Posted by Death and Taxes

Mini golf over at the Heights shopping plaza? Works for me.

Me too. But thats because I live in Margate, about 7 blocks from the bank.

[VentnorMod]

latest update from 12/31/09:

Dear Friends & Contributors:

We would like to update you on the progress to defeat the proposed Margate Pirate Themed Mini Golf Course on Ventnor Avenue.

Our attorney, has filed a motion in Superior Court in our behalf. There will be a review by the courts at this time.

The "PIRATES" presented their plans to the county planning board and it was rejected the first time due to concerns by the board and they wanted to review material again. It was rescheduled by the board on December 16, 2009. Because of the hectic holiday season, a decision has not been made as of this date. As soon as we hear of the county's decision, we will inform you of the outcome.

We plan in the very near future to send you a copy of the filings from our attorney.

There has been numerous rumours circulating Margate and all of downbeach as well, about the sale or no sale of this property. As of today, a viable source in real estate has informed us that the property (SUN BANK) is still in multiple listings. Until we know for sure about this information, we will consider it just a rumour and will investigate this thoroughly. When we find out more we will let you all know.

After several weeks of getting approvals from the state and county, we were able to open an account at Cape Savings Bank in Margate on Ventnor Avenue. All checks and cash were placed in this account. An initial check was sent to our lawyer to expedite this process. We thank all of you for your generous contributions to fight this in court.

We have set-up a group (gmail) e-mail account for this project. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at sdobbins44@gmail.com. or call me on my cell at (609) 335-6815.

Sincerely,

Steve & Donna Dobbins
Margate, NJ

[VentnorMod]

date Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 2:30 PM
From Jay Weintraub
Re The Margate Pirates

Great news!
I just heard from our attorney ,James Malley Esq that we won our first battle today.

The judge remanded our case back to the planning board.

Now the developer Sports Development MUST once again present their case in front of the Planning board. This will take place sometime in March.

We will let you know the time and date as soon as we can. We need to pack the room and let our city government know how we feel..

We are also meeting soon with our attorney to plan our next steps which includes our legal presentation at the planning board meeting. This wlll include certain experts who will testify on our behalf along with our attorney. We also need your voices . We must be visible and be visible on a large scale. So let your friends and neighbors now that we need their help if we are to prevail. Come to the meeting.

This fight will require additional funds . I know I sound like a broken record but we need help!

Today two residents who have not donated in the past, made donations . Maybe they stepped up now and not in the past because we were not taken seriously about what we are doing.

Well we are very,very serious.
THIS IS OUR TOWN AND OUR PROPERTIES!

We are willing to take this as far as we can and fight as hard as we can. We need your help.
Please help us in any amount you can.
Thanks and look for our future e mails. I know there has been a lot in the past few days but this is heating up.

Thanks
Jay

[VentnorMod]

A copy of this group's lawsuit was an attachment to e-mail. Readers interested in suit papers may direct their request to members of the Margate group.

date Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 8:39 AM
subject From The Margate Pirates committee
mailed-byaol.com

Jan 27

We wanted to share with all of you a copy of the complaint we filed in Superior Court(see attachment)
Today, our attorney James Malley Esq is meeting with opposing counsel and attorneys representing The City of Margate for what is referred to as a CONFERENCE. We are not sure what will come out of this meeting.
We will be announcing shortly a date and time of a meeting to keep you informed and to answer your questions .

We as a community need to stop this miniature golf course from becoming reality.

We strongly believe that this will be the first of many developments that will change the face of our Matgate from a wonderful summer and all year residential community to a HONKY TONK /Carnival community.

All of us will feel the pain of this development and see our community change for the worse and watch our property values plummet.

Our quite enjoyment of Margate will no longer be quiet enjoyment. Our personal safety and that of our homes will be affected. We can't let the strong wills of a few people of our city government ruin Margate for all of us.

Again we we need your help financially . Please let others know of our fight and our need for funds.

Her is what one of our neighbors shared with me today and we strongly agree with him.

" Please let all of my neighbors and friends know that they have to understand that if this fails for lack of funding, there will be a 2 level miniature golf carnival attraction on the corner of Ventnor and Frontenac along with lights and blaring music til 12;30 PM. Once they build it, it will be too late to do anything, and Margate will be on its way to honky tonk. They also have to understand that this is probably just a foot in the door. Perhaps the city wants some tax revenue, but you don't place a whore house or a strip joint in the city just because they will pay taxes."

Please help us help you. We need your support NOW!
The committee
Dr Richard Lapat
Ms. Patti Chapnick
Mr. Steven Dobbins
Mr Jay I Weintraub
This was sent from the office of Jay I Weintraub

[VentnorMod]

dateSun, Jan 24, 2010 at 9:31 PM
subjectUpdate Margate committee Minature Golf couse
mailed-byaol.com

Good morning and sorry for the delay in relaying to you our progress.

The group listed at the end of this email has filed a complaint in New jersey Superior Court on behalf of all those who oppose this miniature golf course..This was handled by our attorney Jim Malley Esq.

The people named in the complaint were Margate Planning board,Campbell,Rubin,Sports Develpoment Inc and Sun bank.

The attorney representing Sports development ,Chris Baylinson has appealed to the Judge asking that this matter be addressed as quickly as possible.The developer needs to mave quickly or risk losing this upcoming summer season. Obviously we do not want to see this project at all in Margate.
Mr Baylinson resides in Longport so this project will not affect him at all. Mr. Baylinson is pushing this hard so the project can be presented again at a Planning Board meeting and have the votes to pass again.

If this matter comes in front of the planning board again we, as a community ,need to demonsrtate our objection to this project and come out strong and present our opposing views at that meeting.We will be represented by our attorney but you need to be there sittiing in attendance and if given an opportunity speak out against this project.

On January 27th there will be a conference with all parties in front of the judge. I am not sure what will come out of this meeting and I will not speculate in this e mail.

I have clients who live near one of the other miniature golf courses owned and run by Sports Development and they have told me that the traffic,noise from the patrons and trash has made their neighborhood a mess. They strongly feel that the miniature golf course has ruined their Jersey community and has driven down property values for all homes within 6 to 8 blocks of the miniature golf course near their home. To say they are upset would be a gross understatement.

We are on the doorstep of the same happening in Margate.
We need to make our voices heard and we need to step up as a community and do what we can to stop this destruction of our Margate.

Please let all of your neighbors know about this proposed project. Many of your neighbors are not full time residents of Margate and need to be contacted for support.It is hard to believe that we have spoken to people that we know,who own homes and spend their summers in Margate and they have no idea of what is happening here.

It is very clear why the developer and The Margate Planning Board waited and did NOT present this to the public when we were all there in the summer. They waited until after we all left after Labor Day.

Please contact everyone you know who needs to know about this. We need your help in contacting as many people as we can.

This legal battle takes money to pay for legal fees. Many of you have already donated and we all thank you for your kind support.

We are planning to fight this as far as we can to stop the project and save Margate from becoming another town of arcades and amusements.

We need additional financial support. Please ask your friends to contact us so we may add them to our e mail list so we can gain additional support.

We are in need of additional financial support.. We need donations to continue this fight.

Please send in whatever you can afford to help us fight this legal battle. Ask your friends and neighbors to stop sitting on the side line and help us help them. Any donation of any size is needed.

Make your checks payable to"Sink Their Ship" mail them to
Mr.Steven Dobbins
18 north Exeter Ave
Margate NJ.08402

Thanks so much and should you have any questions please send an e mail with your phone number and we will be happy to call you and answer your questions. please understand that because of the legal matters involved we are not able to share via e mail all information.

It is only a few short months and Memorial Day weekend will be here. Come on summer!

Your committee
Dr. Richard Lapat
Ms. Patti Chapnick
Mr Stephen Dobbins
Mr. Jay I Weintraub

[VentnorMod]

From an e-mail that had about 200 recipients, including WLV:

date Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 4:29 PM
subject From Margate committee IMPORTANT!!!!

4:29 PM (1 hour ago)


I just received a call from one of our residents who called Mark Bnevento at Sports Develpoment

They had a long NICE conversation and Benevento was told that we intend to fight them until they go away.
Bewnevento was told that our Margate culture was not the same as Sea Isle and Ocean city and a venue as this miniature golf course would not be supported in Margate .Nor could it expect to make money.

Benevento said that grandparents will take their kids there to play golf. He was told that we will go to Ocean City before we go to Margate because Ocean City has all the food ,amusements etc

Benevento said that he already has about $100,000 into this project and that if we engage them in a legal battle they will most likely go away They do not want the ADDITIONAL expense. .

Mark and some of our government officials want to change the complexion of Margate. We need to let them know that we do NOT share the same vision and change .

We need to bombard Mark Benevento's office with phone calls. We need to let him know we do not welcome his golf course in Margate and that we have the financial resources to put on a strong and long legal battle..

We need to fill up Mark Benevento's phone lines and call him to let him know how we feel. BE RESPECTFUL PLEASE BUT FIRM.......(609) 601-8500

This does not mean we should not be prepared for a legal battle. We are meeting with our attorney James Malley Esq this week for a planning meeting.We ned to prepare for the next Planning Board meeting.

This fight will take additional funds. We need your help Please send in donations.

If we win this battle without the need of additional legal fees we will return to you proportionally what we have left in our war chest.

Thanks for your help.

If anyone wishes to call me feel free to do so.
Losing this fight is not an option for any of us!

Jay I Weintraub on behalf of your Margate committeee