What is MSA? And who are we?. . .
MSA is an acronym for Mulberry Street Association. This Association formed in late December of 1999 just after Hurricane Floyd struck New Jersey in September of that year. Nine families whom are owner/occupants of Mulberry Street banned together out of a common need.
In August of 1999 it became public knowledge that the results of Project Impact proposed the buy-out and demolition of 49-69 Mulberry Street. This after the Mayor and officials from FEMA proclaimed upon the banks of Assumpink Creek in a news conference that this program would displace no residents! And that the meaningful flood prevention those Mulberry Street residents have waited for years for was about to be realized.
After Hurricane Floyd's crippling effects were felt by many in New Jersey. The Mayor proclaimed the Mulberry Street mitigation was to expand into three (3) phases. The result would be the entire removal of owner/occupant dwellings as well as business in this flood plane.
Owner/occupants of what was then phase one (1) were shocked and threaten by what was later proclaimed as an error. After assessor's re-assessed Mulberry Street in post flood conditions of Hurricane Floyd, the initial buy-out offer would not afford owner/occupants to recoup a quarter of over a 30 to even in some cases a lifetime of investment in property. The threat was contained in the wording of buy-out that more or less suggested that if owner/occupants did not agree to sell their property it would be taken by condemnation. The offers themselves were in the high 20,000 to low 30,000.00 range.
Since this time this mitigation has changed many times with no clear-cut plan of action. Councilman "Bucky" Leggett, said on public record in City Council that he felt both the State and City could be culpable in stringing along owner/occupants with false hope for years that meaningful flood prevention would be a reality. When the reality really is the City and State had no intentions of ever doing anything to the Assumpink Creek citing that it was not a cost-effective measure.
On one hand we have the Government, Federal, State, and City whom all want this mitigation to go forward and be done with the Assumpink Creek issue. On the other hand you have MSA, owner/occupants who wish to comply since it is now public knowledge that the Government is not going to provide the flood prevention. Yet they can not comply and compete in an open market system that has predisposed their position as in a flood plane.
The City maintains that first all properties are re-assessed. Buy-out offers issued and challenges to those offers are presented to negotiate a final buy-out. This formula places owner/occupants in an impossible negotiation position due to our predisposed status as a flood zone.
Former phase one- (1) members who are now in phase two (2) since the June 2000 phase re-alignment have been issued. Has experienced this first hand. Initial buy-offers issued to them were 33,500.00 to 34,500.00. In their attempts to find a real estate agent to challenge this offer they were told to save the cost of them coming out and accept the initial offer. With no means to document and present an acceptable challenge to the City's offer the owner/occupant has no viable means to negotiate or recoup most of their investment.
MSA in communications with the Associate Director of Mitigation of FEMA. MSA has learned that mitigation is not meant to make owner/occupants whole again. But mitigation is supposed to allow owner/occupants the chance to recoup most but not all of their investment. And government would accomplish this through a partnership between Federal, State, and City levels contributions. Most of the City buy-out offers would not afford the owner/occupant to recoup nearly a half of their investments in renovations, rebuilding, and retro-fitting their homes flood after flood event as per City requirements.
MSA merely seeks an equitable solution whereby the members of our association can acquire another home in an ownership position out of harm's way. MSA further seeks an equitable buy-out in the range of 65,000.00 to 70,000.00 to recoup most of their investment and as compensation for living in a potentially hazardous area where the next flood could wipe out all they have in life. The only reason why these owner/occupants did stay was part economic they can not afford to move and the false hope provided by government that meaningful flood prevention was eventually to become a reality. And indeed the State and City are culpable in stringing along owner/occupants for over 100 years! Every elder member of our association can state that for years the City and State both stated that means of addressing Assumpink Creek flooding issue were being studied.
In January of 2001 the City requested MSA to assemble members and non-members to a meeting where an announcement of phase two (2) would be issued. On January 31, 2001 MSA and residents of Mulberry Street assembled at the East Trenton Community Center. The City announced that 1.2 million dollars was in place to expedite phase two (2). After explaining that 250,000.00 was ear marked for site prep and demolition and that 950,000.00 dollars would be available for the buy-out. The City further stipulated that if one member of phase two (2) refuses to comply this entire part of the overall mitigation would be abandoned!
MSA membership who represents the majority of owner/occupants on Mulberry Street wants to comply with this mitigation. Yet we know we can not compete in this open market system that the City is adhering too. Due to our predisposition as being a flood zone, we are prejudiced into accepting whatever the City deems. Without the means to present a viable challenge to their offers the owner/occupants do not feel this a voluntary acquisition. This is why at this point MSA seeks legal council to find a means to present our position and help us find an equitable solution to the dilemma we find ourselves in.
If you are a lawyer and is interested in helping MSA contact information can be had from the Contact link on left hand side!