City of Long Branch, New Jersey

LATEST UPDATE:

In a July 10th letter to the editor of the Asbury park press, Mr. Austin Gelzer wrote:

"I write to defend Long Branch Councilman Brian Unger from the scurrilous attack on his good name and reputation. For 26 years, Unger has contributed his time and talents to preserve the city's beaches and ocean, its historic and recreational places dating back to the 19th century and its residents' quality of life. He cares about the future of Long Branch as the jewel of the Jersey Shore, a community of diverse neighborhoods...."

Please click here to read the full letter

Please read the following recent Atlanticville article:

We don't need no stinkin' ethics board around here! - Atlanticville

Welcome to my re-designed and re-launched website.  I have been working very hard for the past two and a half years to represent all the citizens and taxpayers of Long Branch.  We are one city, uno communidad, and yet we are the most diverse city in Monmouth County.  I am proud of that.  It is why I live here.

We face many challenges in order to maintain our diversity, and we face many challenges to preserve and enhance all of our neighborhoods, from the southernmost parts of Elberon, through the leafy residential streets and bustling businesses of West End, to the uptown neighborhoods off Norwood Avenue, Branchport, the Beachfront, and our central neighborhoods on either side of Broadway, down Liberty Street and across Joline to Atlantic Avenue.  I also, of course, include my old neighborhood, the quiet little North Long Branch ‘village’ up alongside the Monmouth Beach border, where I lived and enjoyed the beaches and local luncheonettes and stores for many years.

I see us as one people, one diverse family living within the municipal boundaries of our city, trying to work together to ensure that our future is safe, prosperous, fair and equitable for everyone.  Indeed, I think of our city slogan as “Diversity, Equality, Prosperity.”  It is a noble goal that serves everyone in our community, regardless of race, ethnic origin, religion, socioeconomic class, or place of birth.

I have worked hard to preserve Takanassee Beach Club as a public recreational and historic site, but I am afraid at this point the most that we can hope for is limited public access.  I am working with Congressman Frank Pallone, State Sen. Sean Kean, Leila Poch of the Elberon Voters and Property Owners Association, Surfrider Foundation, community organizations and local history buffs and scholars.  We are hopeful that the developer of Takanassee will want to preserve all three historic structures for posterity, but nothing is clear at this point.

Unfortunately, in many of our neighborhoods and business districts it seems clear to me that City Hall is not doing the job that needs to get done, year-round, and I am not going to let up the pressure until I feel our neighborhoods are where they need to be:  we need clean, neat streets, lawns, lots, sidewalks, right-of-ways, borders, business zones, commercial dumpsters, etc. 

Frankly, my own neighborhood may now be one of the dirtiest in Long Branch, and I am at a loss to figure out why a young family would want to purchase a home in our neighborhood.

The streets are often filthy, the yards are often littered with trash for weeks at a time, and some landlords rarely cut the grass in front of their homes.  If I was a real estate agent taking people through Elberon and parts of West End, frankly, I would be embarrassed.

We have to change this.  We have to have a cleaner, safer, thriving West End business district.  To permit open commercial dumpsters overflowing with repulsive-looking trash right out in the open and into the business parking lots—frankly, that would be impermissible in Red Bank or Fair Haven or any other local town’s business district.

Please stay in touch.  You may email me at fitzunger@yahoo.com or call me anytime at 732-870-9065, or write me a letter at City Hall, 344 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ 07740.

I look forward to working with you all to make our city the best and most livable diverse city in New Jersey.

Sincerely,

Brian Unger

COUNCILMAN SEEKS ZONING BOARD NOMINATIONS