AVALON – A developer has received a third and final extension of approvals he needed for a subdivision of eight single family homes on land that was cleared by the demolition of AJ’s Antiques and the Z Deli at 20th and 21st streets and Ocean Drive.
At a meeting Tuesday, Dec. 12, the Planning and Zoning Board approved the extension for the developer, Anthony Zurawski, giving him until November 2024 to initiate the project. The board first approved the subdivision in October 2019.
Zurawski’s application argued for a further extension based on delays caused by the pandemic, followed by a period of rising interest rates.
The property is part of a three-acre block that Zurawski and his family offered for sale in 2022. The block contains two legendary Avalon establishments, the Princeton and the Whitebrier, and includes the land from Ocean to Dune and from 20th to 21st streets.
Zurawski, a resident of Avalon, has also sought approval several times since 2016 for a boutique hotel in the business district. In 2016 he presented plans for such a hotel on acreage across the street from the Whitebrier but was turned down.
Declining business activity in the business district led the Planning and Zoning Board to approve an amendment to the master plan for boutique hotels in the district, but the concept did not move forward.
But now the Borough Council has asked for a consultant’s study of the issue. In June the council approved a contract with Colliers Engineering and Design for a B-1 business district planning study focused on the establishment of boutique hotels in the district. To date there has been no update given on the status of the study.
Throughout the discussions there has been a constant eye on the impact of The Reeds at Shelter Haven luxury boutique hotel in the Stone Harbor business district.
As far back as 2014 Zurawski began sharing a vision for the business district when he presented his earliest plans for a boutique hotel, a vision in which he explicitly cited The Reeds.
Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
