The Pearl Restaurant and Bar
1 MacArthur Blvd.
Somers Point, Atlantic County
609-653-1155

The State DOT vs. The Pearl Restaurant

Governor Christie,
I apologize and thank you for taking some of your valueable time to listen to our plea. With an unfair and impending takeover by eminent domain by the NJDOT on or around December 15th of this year, we are in our most desperate hour.
I have worked for the Lin Family at The Pearl Restaurant and Bar for over 13 years. They are the nicest, most generous people, with a great reputation throughout the Somers Point and Ocean City areas. As Chinese-Americans since coming to this Country 30 years ago, have worked hard, owned and operated their business for 27 years.
A few years ago, The NJ DOT was to construct a new causeway, bridge, and intersection (removing the circle) from Somers Point, Rt.52, going into Ocean City. The businesses that resided around the circle were all to be unaffected by the original plans (with minor exceptions if roadways needed to be widened). Those businesses are: The Crab Trap Restaurant, The Circle Liquor Store, The Point Diner, and The Pearl. The State already acquired a property some years ago that used to be a gas station. A very short time after announcing their plans, my boss, Steven Lin, was sandbagged at a town meeting and was told that his business was the only one that was going to be taken. From that day on, we were told that it was “just a proposal, it could be changed, not to worry.”
The reason was, nothing to do with the removal of the Circle/Intersection or the Causeway for the Bridge, but for “overflow parking” for The Historic Somers Mansion that resides on the hill next to The Pearl. My definition of “overflow” is that there is not enough suitable parking and there needs to be more. I have been there for 13 years and I have never seen a single car parked for visitation of that Mansion. Even if it had visitors on a regular basis, the lot is certainly big enough to share. We have been to the public showings of the plans three years ago, and more recent, last month (phase two), and both times had discussions with some of the DOT. Frank Inverso, the head of the project, and a few other members, were quick both times to try and convince us that this was the only way the plans could work. Nonesense. It was also for some kind of “storm drainage” (unless water travels up in Somers Point, the Pearl and the Mansion are the highest points on the Circle), for a “scenic overview” for the Mansion (that, again, nobody goes to), and for additional “overflow” parking for a boat ramp to be built down the road off of Bay Avenue! Why wouldn’t they just take the huge, almost always vacant, lot on the same street (“The Point”- under 18 club). The reason we are assuming is that it is owned by Ira Trocki and that it would cost more to try and vacate him than it would the Chinese people down the road. Let’s face it, if the Crab Trap or Circle Liquor Store was on our property, the DOT wouldn’t try and mess with those businesses. In fact, the original plan had a cement divider in front of The Circle Liquor Store that was quickly taken from the plans and now they even have their own road onto the Causeway! Not bad for one of the busiest liquor stores in the State!

We understand the concept of Eminent Domain (albeit unethical, unpopular, and abusive as it is) being used for a railroad, highway, bridge, etc., but an “overflow parking lot” ? Ridiculous.
The Pearl a few years back, before the DOT and the proposed construction, was offered by a PA businessman, a little over 4 million for the business, primarily for the incredible location it resides. Pearl Lin turned it down, not because she wanted more money, but because she wasn’t ready to retire or start new somewhere else.
The DOT’s offer was 1.4. Almost what she paid for it 27 years ago! The business behind us was offered more per square foot with no where near the traffic or view as the Pearl, as were the two businesses on the opposite end of the project in Ocean City. 1.4 (plus 200k for the entire inside equipment) is not only an insult for the best location on the future intersection, but not enough to relocate across the street to any of the vacant businesses that reside there.
Also, who is to make up the 40k a year in business taxes the Pearl currently pays for, and the maintainence of a parking lot/ park overview”? The Somers Point taxpayers?
Stuart Lederman, The Lin’s attorney, tried for the entire summer season to get a response to his queries and none were answered. When Pearl went to pay her property tax at Town Hall, there was no bill. The State had already seized her property without her knowledge. Now, I believe, she pays rent.
We are prepared to release the property if they will give her the “fair market value” they promise, so we can move across the street (which doesn’t have any of the view with only MacArthur Blvd. traffic). Their offer was as lowball and ridiculous that one can only suspect the State DOT to be taking advantage of a minority business owner.
We have hundreds of signatures of local business owners and residents who all agree that this is attrocious.
We know that you are a very busy man, so thank you for taking your valueable time to read this.

Scott Molinari
Employee of The Pearl Restaurant and Bar since 1996
SMM99sbi@aol.com
The Pearl 609-653-1155