WILDWOOD — It was standing room only as a large crowd filled the second floor meeting room of City Hall to watch the city’s planning board presentation and public comment on a “comprehen-sive master plan update” Monday night.
If the city wants the OK for 25-story buildings, certain criteria will have to be met, including an update of the town’s master plan, according to a March letter from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Engineer Eric Gundrum explained that his firm of Remington Vernick & Walberg began working on the updates four months ago. A master plan, he said, serves as a set of guide-lines and suggestion as the municipality plans for its future.
The document and exhibits presented to the board can be viewed at www.wildwoodnj.org.
The revisions dealt with changes to designations to areas of the town, such as residential, commercial or hotel/motel.
The plan addressed the need for parking and the possibility of building a parking structure. The use of parking signs to direct vehicles and trams to help eliminate traffic was also discussed.
But it was the new height requirements for new construction that drew high emotions from most of the public.
Resident Kathy Mills told the board that the city should focus on repairing “the basics” be-fore it worries about building 25-story buildings.
“This is where we live and we don’t want this,” said Mills. “Don’t you hear us?”
“We know there is need for rooms in Wildwood, but why can’t we entertain the idea of six or eight-story hotels?” asked Al Brannen.
“Wildwood has screwed up everything it has tried to do,” he said. “We have to do this right because we have to live here forever.”
“Why should we adopt something like a 25-story building when we can’t even build con-dos right?” questioned another resident.
Union members told the planning board that the proposed high-rises would bring much-needed jobs to the area.
“It will create year-round lifetime opportunities,” said one representative from the bricklayers union.
The convention center has suffered a loss in business due to the depleted supply of motel rooms and lack of first-class accommodations, according to John Siciliano, executive director of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority (GWTIDA).
Mary Erceg, a GWTIDA board member and motel owner, told the board that Wildwood should plan big and not fear change.
“The city is at a crossroads,” she said. “Either we meet the needs of the tourism market or we stay where we are now, with many properties that have not changed since I was a child.”
“We know we need new development and new hotel rooms,” responded resident Greg Callahan. “But the height is just excessive. Couldn’t we come to a compromise that would satisfy residents and developers alike?”
“Do we need six of these 25-story buildings in order to support the convention center?” asked Janie Arena.
Currently, the city has approved six high-rise condotels including, the Nouveau Wave, the Wildwood Beach Resort and Hotel, the Starlite Resort, the East Bennett Project the Way-point Beach Club, and the Riviera.
Zoning Board Chairperson Bud McGrath suggested that “conditional permitted use” be added to the wording regarding height revisions.
“So when the city feels that six or eight buildings is enough, we will have some control,” he said.
“One would think this is a referendum on high-rises,” commented Planner Stuart Wiser. “But high-rises were permitted as part of the 2004 plan revision. They are already permitted.”
“What this is about is going through the exercise that the DEP has asked and would sup-port high-rises,” Wiser said. “In regards to pros and cons on high-rises, quite frankly that ship has already sailed.”
Despite limiting the public’s speaking time to five minutes apiece and failing microphones, the comments continued for nearly three hours.
“We came here with the intention of voting on the revised plan,” said Planning Board Chairperson Mike Porch. “But it is our responsibility to consider everything before we make a vote.”
The board will vote on the revisions at its Sept. 4 meeting at 7 p.m. in City Hall. City Commission will have the final say if the revisions will take effect in the form of changes to the city’s land use ordinance.
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