SOMERS POINT — A developer is hoping to demolish 17 rental units in four buildings to make way for 24 townhouses fronting Great Egg Harbor Bay.
Attorney Keith Davis, representing the prospective purchasers of 90 Broadway, addressed City Council on Sept. 12 proposing a redevelopment agreement that would create amendable zoning for the project.
The property, west of John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, contains three homes and an apartment building known as Highbank Apartments.
Davis called it “attractive real estate,” characterizing the current structures as “somewhat old and out of character of the development pattern.”
“The 24 luxury townhome units will be a better fit for the city,” he said.
“We would like to move forward in working with your professionals with a redevelopment plan to facilitate this project,” Davis said. “We are asking for adoption of a redevelop agreement to allow for favorable zoning.”
The principals of the project are John Wolfington and Dan Metzler, who Davis noted have been in real estate development for almost 30 years.
Wolfington said he has designed projects large and small.
“We were excited about this project with its beautiful property and beautiful view,” he said. “We wanted to do something not the same as the square box condos proposed in the past at this site.”
Architect Steve Fenwick agreed.
“It’s a really special site,” he said. “It offers views over Rainbow Channel to Ocean City and the meadows to the north.”
He said the plan is to “maximize the views and open space so each unit could have a view of the water.”
Fenwick said each of the 24 units would have a two-car garage plus room for another in the driveway. The first level would have bedrooms and a porch. The second level would have the great room and a second porch and the top floor would have a large primary suite.
Councilman Sean McGuigan noted a previously approved project at the site included public access to the bay and asked whether that would be the case with this development.
Davis said public access is a requirement of securing a Coastal Area Facilities Review Act permit and there would be parking spaces reserved for public access.
Councilman Charlie Haberkorn asked if the project would provide any affordable housing.
Davis said there are four different ways in which the developers could satisfy an affordable housing requirement.
One plan would be to increase the number of units to 30, with six affordable homes, to meet the 20 percent requirement. Another option would be to provide affordable units off-site or through rehabilitation of existing homes.
Davis noted a new method for providing affordable housing is through accessory units such as a mother-in-law suite.
“It is the redeveloper’s intent to satisfy those requirements,” Davis said.
The project would include a swimming pool, gazebo and boat slips.
“We are planning a very beautiful community,” Wolfington said.
Davis said the homes would sell for “north of $1 million.”
He said the presentation was the first step in a long process.
During public comment, city resident and planner John Helbig said he has friends who live at the site and was told they received eviction notices forcing them to leave by Dec. 31.
“Given the paucity of affordable housing in our area, I think that’s going to be a real hardship on folks who have lived there for a long time,” he said.
Helbig said it could be two years before ground is broken for the project.
“These guys don’t even have plans done yet. They have to get a CAFRA permit, which is nine to 12 months minimum. They’re not looking to break ground for 18 to 24 months, minimum, by the time they have all of their DEP permits,” he said. “I don’t see why they are putting our residents in a situation where they have to be out in three months. I would hope that our redevelopment committee would use whatever leverage they have to extend that, to give people more time.”
City Council President Janice Johnston said the developers do not even own the property and that the current owner is the one evicting the residents.
“The owner wouldn’t be doing that if these guys were not putting pressure on him,” Helbig said.
“We don’t know that,” Councilman Howard Dill said.
“They are our residents and I think we should care about them,” Helbig responded.
He also took issue with the public access to the bay.
“This never works on private property. Ultimately it gets lost in the weeds,” he said. “I’ve done projects where a community can get monetary contributions for public access in lieu of putting it on private property, and I think that’s a better way to go.”
He also said he hopes any redevelopment plan does not offer tax incentives.
“I hope we are not going to include any type of tax deferral or reduction for million-dollar townhouses; they clearly don’t need it,” he said.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff