Representing Your Voice In Local Government
The Best 4 Oceanport Team 2010
Press Release
For Immediate Release - May 11, 2008
Contact: Joseph A. Irace Councilman (732) 915-7816
Oceanport Mayor and Councilman Attend State Senate Hearing on the future of Horse Racing in New Jersey
Oceanport Mayor Michael Mahon and Councilman Joseph Irace attended the state Senate Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee hearing Friday May 9th on the future of horse racing in New Jersey, held in the Garden Room at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport.
"As elected officials in the borough of Oceanport, we realize the importance of maintaining the viability of Monmouth Park Racetrack and we support the measures presented by the horsemen to preserve our greatest ratable," stated Councilman Irace. "Further, we support the idea of adding Video Lottery Terminals (VLT's) to the Meadowlands Racetrack as a way of subsidizing purses and helping our racetracks stay competitive with neighboring states."
"We also support the idea of a thoroughbred horse training facility on the current location of Fort Monmouth in Oceanport should the Fort close as scheduled in 2011." Irace continued. "This plan, trumpeted by the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association will help maintain farmland, open space, create jobs and help our major ratable, Monmouth Park, remain a viable institution for horse racing."
The borough of Oceanport looks forward to working with other elected officials in New Jersey and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority in looking "outside the box" to maintain horse racing at Monmouth Park.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Oceanport would host horse-training facility
Boro mulls swap of Wolf Hill land for fort site
BY JENNA O'DONNELL Staff Writer
OCEANPORT - Wolf Hill Park could be the site of a horse-training facility in a land swap for open space at Fort Monmouth once the fort closes, according to a resolution passed last week.
The Borough Council approved a resolution to support the concept of a year-round horse-training facility during the June 19 meeting.
"We are hoping to get this to the ear of the right person," Councilman Joseph Irace said on Friday.
The resolution recognizes that the horse racing industry in New Jersey is in a state of crisis due to the lack of purse money and venues to support a longer racing season, which has diminished the number of days of thoroughbred racing from over 300 to a mere 131.
A potential training center in Oceanport would provide a much-needed venue for trainers to bring their thoroughbreds during the offseason, according to the ordinance. The lack of an offseason facility diminishes the ability to compete with neighboring states, according to the resolution.
Irace raised the subject of drafting a resolution to show the mayor and council's support of a potential horse-training facility at Fort Monmouth during the June 5 council meeting.
The resolution additionally states that the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has intimated the possibility of trading the property known as Wolf Hill, located next to Monmouth Park racetrack, for open-space lands at Fort Monmouth when it closes in 2011.
Borough resident Sal Vecchione said last week that he and other residents of the neighborhood close to the park were against such a swap.
"It's a beautiful park," Vecchione said. "We're definitely against it. We worked so hard to get it, and it beautifies our neighborhood."
However, Irace thinks that such a land swap is less likely than a training facility on the fort land.
"I think that's a lot more of a long shot than it would be to put the training facility on Fort Monmouth, and that itself is a long shot," he said.
Irace added that the council was not trying to reduce any parkland, but to enhance it.
"All it would be [is] to switch Wolf Hill Park from its current location to the fort property," Irace said. "It wouldn't be that it was disappearing."
The proximity of Wolf Hill Park to the racetrack as well as its prior use as a similar facility years ago were reasons that the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association had mentioned a switch, according to Irace.
If that idea became reality, Irace said that the park on the fort would be a reflection of Wolf Hill, with similar acreage and setup.
"Nobody is looking to do away with parks," Irace said. "We are actually looking to increase parks and open space and reduce the housing component."
He thought it unlikely that a horse-training facility would be placed anywhere in the borough other than the fort.
"I don't see that happening as much as I would see the Fort Monmouth part," Irace said. "The bottom line is funding."
The discussions about having 80 acres of the now-federal 1,126-acre fort property dedicated to a training facility for thoroughbred racehorses have been ongoing for a number of years.
Oceanport, along with Eatontown and Tinton Falls, is working with FMERPA to come up with a redevelopment plan for reuse of its portion of the fort property after the fort closes.
The mayor and council continue to express their support of Monmouth Park racetrack as the borough's largest ratable, and Irace hopes that the resolution will reflect that solidarity.
Current redevelopment plans are under way for Fort Monmouth, which is slated for closure in September 2011. Oceanport in favor of horse training facility OCEANPORT - A proposal to locate a thoroughbred training facility in the borough is gaining momentum and has the support of borough officials. During his report at the June 5 council meeting, Councilman Joseph Irace said that the borough would be drafting a resolution to affirm support of both the potential facility and Monmouth Park. Read more.....
Facility meant to boost state's ailing horse racing industry
BY JENNA O'DONNELL Staff Writer
By CAROL GORGA WILLIAMS • COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU • February 13, 2010
OCEANPORT — As Gov. Chris Christie was anointing his own panel to advise him about the future of horse racing at the state's four tracks, former state Sen. John O. Bennett was reaching his own conclusion about the controversial issue.
"We've got to get out front on this," said Bennett, borough attorney, to Mayor Michael J. Mahon. "There is too much at risk," Bennett told Mahon, watching the mayor's unusual reaction.
"He started laughing," Bennett recalled.
"Funny you should mention that," Mahon said he told Bennett. "I'm appointing a task force and I need you on it."
Read more......
