BERKELEY – An attempt by a restauranteur to turn his land into homes was declined by the Township Planning Board.
The Island Beach Fish Company is just north of Island Beach State Park. It’s on Central Avenue (Route 35), between 21st and 22nd avenues in the South Seaside Park section of town. It’s near Bum Rogers, which is owned by the same person.
The owner planned on changing the property to six, three-story homes, said Douglas Klee, engineer for the project.
Five of the units would have driveways on Route 35 and the sixth would be on 22nd Avenue. There would be no on-street parking. Answering questions from the Planning Board’s engineer, Ernie Peters, Klee explained that there would be two parking spaces available per unit. They would be losing three street parking spots in total.
The developer asked for waivers on parts of the project that would normally be required. One was planting of trees, but Klee argued that there aren’t many trees in the area anyway. The other is providing recreation, but the building would be right between the ocean and the bay – and beaches are the main source of recreation in the area.
There would be a net reduction of impervious surfaces if the restaurant was replaced by homes, he said. Impervious surface includes any construction, driveways, or other places that block stormwater from filtering into the soil.
Township Planner James Oris said the application wasn’t consistent with other development in the area. Other residential lots nearby are larger than the ones being proposed. It would fit better if there were only four units or even two.
“It seems the applicant could do something more appropriate than taking away a restaurant to create residential,” he said, noting he didn’t see how six homes provided more public good than an eatery.
The developer’s professionals argued that the size of the homes would be unique in the area, providing an opportunity that doesn’t currently exist.
Jason Marciano, engineer and planner with East Coast Engineering, representing the developer, said that a restaurant requires more parking than residential, so it would help lessen a known problem.
Mayor John Bacchione, who sits on the Planning Board, said it was too much in too little a space.
“It reminds me of cramming 10 pounds of meat in a 5 pound bag. I’m not sure I’ve heard enough that this is the best use of the property,” he said.
Nick Mackres, chair of the Planning Board, noted that other properties have driveways on side streets, not Route 35, which could cause problems.
A neighbor on 22nd Avenue talked about how unsafe it would be getting in and out of the driveway.
Two Planning Board members abstained from voting, but the rest voted against the plan.
