History and Planning
Knowing our past, understanding how and why our social makeup, economic
condition and the physical layout of our manmade environment evolved
into what it is today is very important. We can only plan our future
by knowing and understanding our past. We are doomed to repeat the
mistakes of our past if we are not a student of history. It’s
true that we learn more by our mistakes. However it is usually at
a great expense. It is much less expensive to learn from other people’s
mistakes from the past. History can teach us this.
Planning Absecon’s Future
Absecon’s Master Plan
The New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law (NJSA 40:55D-1 et seq) requires
that every municipality in New Jersey which adopted a master plan
and land development regulations periodically review and revise, if
necessary, those documents every six years. This Reexamination report
is essentially the Absecon City Planning Board’s checklist of
things that should be addressed. It lists portions of the Master Plan
and development regulations that should be amended or at least studied.
In 1999 the Absecon City Planning Board adopted the Reexamination
Report. The following is a brief summary of recommendations made by
the Absecon City Planning Board.
Developmental Ordinance Amendments Recommended in 1999
-
To encourage economic growth while protecting the
existing residential neighborhood, architecturally and / or historically
significant residences, prepare design standards, together with
conditional use requirements to strictly control Professional Offices
as a conditional use on north Shore Road and Bed & Breakfast
Inns as a conditional use on Shore Road.
-
To encourage economic growth develop Site Plan Waiver
process
-
Permit shared parking for all commercial districts
to encourage economic growth.
-
Modify church parking requirements to take in consideration
that multiple uses or events do not take place simultaneously.
-
Reduction in setback requirements for R-3 Zone to
more closely conform to existing setbacks in the district.
-
Increase permitted density and reduction of parking
requirements in R-4 Zone and R-FSH Zone for age restricted housing
to encourage such developments in place of permitted multi-family
housing.
-
To encourage economic growth (while taking in consideration
NJDEP environmental constraints) permit motel uses in HD-1.
Commercial Zoning District Changes Recommendations from
1999 Reexamination Report
-
Expand C-2 Commercial Business District along New
Road (US Route 9).
-
The site of the existing Memorial Field should be
rezoned C-1 (Central Business District).
-
City owned land (Now known as Dr. J. Pitney Recreation
Park) bounded by the rear lot lines of lots fronting on New York
Avenue and Crestview Avenue; 10th Avenue and Pitney Road should
be rezoned PK (Park) /SPB (Schools and Public Buildings).
-
The property fronting on Pleasant Avenue zoned R-I
(Multi-family Residential) should be rezoned I/PI (Industrial /
Planned Industrial).
Residential Development Recommendations from 1999
Reexamination Report
-
The City should adopt land use policies that maintain
and preserve existing single family neighborhoods. Undeveloped City
owned lands in the northwest corner of Absecon City should be preserved
for larger building lots, which would be compatible with existing
larger building lots in Galloway Township and along New York Avenue.
Because of projected population increase of the older age group
the city should adopt land use policies that promote age-restricted
housing.
As recommended above, the Absecon City Planning Board
did prepare and approve for Council review a Senior Citizen Overlay
Ordinance to allow age-restricted housing to encourage land developers
to develop age-restricted housing rather than the existing permitted
multi-family housing.
Commercial Development Recommendations from 1999
Reexamination Report
-
The City should continue to promote the redevelopment
of the White Horse Pike (US Route 30) corridor as a primary retail
center in northeastern Atlantic County. Redevelopment should include
the rezoning of the existing Memorial Field on US Route 30 to Central
Business District (C-1).
-
The City should continue to expand the hotel/motel
industry in the White Horse Pike corridor by permitting motel use
in the HD-1 Zone.
-
The City should stabilize “Main Street”
(New Jersey Avenue) Absecon with a re-development plan that includes
enhancing the visual character of the district.
|
