NORTH WILDWOOD – In a city council meeting that lasted only 10 minutes, council efficiently dispatched an agenda of routine matters. One ordinance that passed unanimously promises to have more impact on the community than the brevity of the meeting might have indicated.
The proposed amendments to the Land Development Plan for North Wildwood had been discussed previously and were based on the North Wildwood Planning Board’s recent reexamination of the municipality’s master plan.
The changes approved by council April 1, mean that more residential properties will be allowed in an area once zoned only for business along New Jersey Avenue. The North Wildwood Central Business District had initially been restricted to commercially zoned properties. Earlier changes to the master plan allowed residential space above street level commercial properties. Even those changes were not sufficient to meet demand as property owners have made numerous requests for zoning exceptions to allow parcels to be used solely for residential units.
Those requests prompted the review of the land development regulations by the planning board. Mayor Patrick Rosenello has previously pointed out that the city has not seen much demand for large commercial blocks. Instead, the demand has been for small businesses and greater flexibility for residential units. The vote to amend the zoning requirements was a response to this change in demand.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
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