WILDWOOD CREST – Several residents of East Columbine Road, in Wildwood Crest, voiced their objections to a neighbor’s front yard modular structure that they say serves as a base for an unlicensed commercial use in a residential zone.
The structure is on the front lawn of a home at 213 East Columbine Road. The home is owned by Allen and Susan Fox Hirschmann.
At the Wildwood Crest Board of Commissioners meeting July 20, the neighborhood group, with resident Gail Kelly doing much of the presenting, pushed the governing body to act on what they see as an overt and flagrant abuse of the borough zoning. They also asked for proof that the kilns installed to support Susan Hirschmann’s pottery constructions have been properly and safely installed.
Kelly pointed to Susan Hirschmann’s website as further proof of the commercial use of the structure.
At a July 6 meeting of the Crest’s governing body, Allen Hirschmann said that the shed has not been opened as a shop and that there are no plans to use it to offer classes.
The website lists the 213 East Columbine address with the statement “I’ve moved.” The site says that Susan Hirschmann offers small group or private lessons, but it does not explain how those classes will be conducted if the modular structure is not to be used for that purpose.
In support of Allen Hirschmann’s assertions, the website offers consultations and special designs for which it lists payment and shipping information. The delivery page does not mention pickup at a shop.
In the end, the commissioners have asked for patience. They indicated that there is much to sort through with respect to the claims and counterclaims. They have assured the neighbors that the issue has their attention, and a resolution will be forthcoming.
