Recap of Dec 6, 2021 Wildwood Planning and Zoning Meeting

By Kathy Fulginiti

3601 Hudson

Withdrawn. Will refile.

Kenneth Loomis, 136 E. Garfield Ave.

There were two properties here, one in front and one in back.  The one in back received extensive storm damage and had to be demolished.  The proposal is to build a replacement single-family home (with an enlarged footprint) in the back that would be three stories high (30 ½ feet).  Back setback:  4 feet, side setbacks: less than usual, but I didn’t get the distance.  The front building is being remodeled for an older relative.  

Variances needed for setbacks, enlarged footprint, and use variance since the area is zoned commercial.  The board recognized that most of the street is residential, with the commercial areas being at the street ends.  Zoning prohibits two principal structures on one lot.     

The board did not agree with the four-foot back setback and the attorney for Loomis increased the distance to six feet.  The attorney noted that the overall square footage requested was less than legally required.  Members of the public spoke and were concerned about a six-foot setback not being enough in case of fire.  They opined that the lot size was not large enough for the proposed structure.  They also were concerned about trash receptacle placement. 

The application was denied with a vote of three members voting no and four members voting yes. Those with no votes didn’t want the two structures and were concerned about the setbacks. In order for a proposal to pass, there must be at least five yes votes.  

Amos, Marvis Diner, Pacific and Rio Grande Avenues

The owners want to construct a dedicated parking lot, a 36’ covered patio, and modernized bathroom facilities through the purchase of two adjacent lots, on which buildings have already been demolished.  A storage container will be relocated.

D3 use variance needed.  The new patio is supposed to be surrounded by landscaping, but space limitations prevent this.  Variance needed for per customer requirement because of a parking shortfall.  The diner is currently short nine spaces; the new layout will decrease that amount to six.  Variance also needed for patio space.  This has something to do with allotted space per customer, but I didn’t hear the whole reasoning.

The owner spoke about the limited, close seating area in the restaurant and how the patio provides an area to allow more customers while also giving them more space to maneuver.  

A couple members of the public spoke about how the restaurant is negatively impacting the residential area of Hand Avenue.  They knew that they were buying a house next to a restaurant, but didn’t expect so many issues.  They talked to the owner about the problems and the results were less than satisfactory.  The 18-wheeler truck deliveries block driveways and hold up traffic.  Deliveries used to occur only in the mornings, but now they arrive throughout the day.  The noise from the refrigerated trucks often interferes with sleep if they show up early in the morning. Sometimes the trucks have to wait for restaurant personnel to arrive, which can be up to an hour. 

Another issue is the placement of the recycling cans.  Currently they are placed on Hand Avenue and some contents blow onto neighboring areas.  Trash from the restaurant also finds its way onto the neighboring properties.  A container at the back of the diner property is a rusting, unsightly mess.  The neighbor said the situation was remedied, to an extent. The container was painted red, but the top was not painted, and that is the view they have from their windows.

The owner addressed these concerns, saying that the recycling cans will be moved to the Rio Grande side of the property.  They will try to get the delivery trucks to pull into the back of the diner in order to alleviate Hand Avenue blockage, but he really has no control over where the drivers stop.  The larger trucks might not be able to get in and out of the lot easily.  With the storage container being repositioned and moved further from the property line, he hopes that issue will help matters.  

The board unanimously passed the variances on the condition that the lots are consolidated.

Anglesea Aleworks, 3401 New Jersey Avenue

This application is for a brewing company to move into the bowling alley building where the old Sundance nightclub used to be.  Main entrance and deliveries would be in the front.

A variance is needed since that area is zoned PE and a brewing company is not one of the intended uses.  

One of the owners, Michael Johnson, spoke about the plans.  Not too much in the way of renovations needs to be done.  The exiting bar will be utilized, but the size will be reduced.  The main entrance will showcase the brewing vats.  The board mulled over the differences between a bar and a brewing company.

A member of the public spoke about how such a company would bring more business into the other establishments in the building and that it was a good use for that space.

The board unanimously passed the variance.

Disclaimer: These are not the official minutes of the meeting. While we have taken every precaution to ensure that the content of this summary are both current and accurate and does not infringe on any rights of any person or entity, errors can occur. We assume no responsibility for errors/emissions.

Official minutes can be found on the City of Wildwood’s web page.  They appear to be posted two months after the meeting. On Wildwoodnj.org, go to Meetings/Agendas. Scroll to year. Go to Planning/Zoning Board of Adjustments. Scroll down to the date you want to see.

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