SOMERS POINT — “This is your town. It’s up to us to make a decision but we want your input,” Planning Board Chairman Paul Striefsky told a packed house Aug. 22.
During a board meeting at which most of the City Council members were present, planner Jim Rutala outlined the process of re-examining the city’s Master Plan, a guide to the future that is required every 10 years for a municipality to maintain its zoning control.
He said the Master Plan is like a roadmap for the next decade, guiding capital and economic development with input from all community stakeholders.
Members of the public got an opportunity to speak, sharing their dreams and concerns for the future.
John Helbig, chairman of the Environmental Commission and a member of the Zoning Board and Economic Development Advisory Commission, encouraged development of ecotourism and boosting recreation offerings.
He said having active outlets in the community “enhances the quality of life for our residents, folks who live here year-round or seasonal.”
Helbig suggested improvements to the bike path, such as adding trees and keeping it cleaner, as well as a trail and interpretive center at the city-owned lot on DeFeo Lane.
Noting amenities such as the bayfront John F. Kennedy Memorial Park and the playground and outdoor area at the Senior Center, he said the areas are “underutilized and really haven’t been taken care of well.”
“I think they represent a real resource for our community and I think they provide another opportunity to bring folks into the community other than just for restaurants and bars and the bayfront activities,” he said. “I think there is some real promise there.”
He said the Environmental Commission has been successful in obtaining grants from Sustainable Jersey, the Great Egg Harbor River Council and state Green Acres program, and encouraged the city to continue pursing such funding.
“We are doing a lot of good things, I think, and I would like to continue in that vein, so anything we can do to emphasize recreation and an open space element will be a benefit to our community in the long run,” Helbig said.
Several people talked about sustaining the community’s population of families.
“I want to make sure we are thinking about bringing families and continuing to bring children into our schools,” said Giannine Disciascio of Holly Hills Drive, president of the Somers Point Education Association.
“Whatever you’re bringing in, we need tax funds,” she said, mentioning the housing facility being built across from Greate Bay Country Club, whose developer has a tax-abatement plan with the city.
The agreement, similar to those for Somers Point Village Apartments, Bayview Court and Sonesta Suites, allows the city to collect a payment in lieu of taxes but provides no funding to the school system.
Nick Wagner, a city police officer and member of the Board of Education, said the city needs more single-family homes to boost school enrollment, which has plunged significantly over the past 10 years, causing state funding to drop.
He said the community was built on the backbone of youth recreation and schools but that any time a housing development is proposed, officials say not to worry because it will not generate children and thus raise taxes.
Conversely, he said, the declining enrollments has led to higher taxes because of the state aid cuts.
“We need growth, we need single-family homes,” he said. “I don’t want to be in a situation in 30 years that we are regretting that.”
He urged the steering committee to reach out to young families, noting hockey and baseball were taking place during the meeting, preventing coaches and parents from attending.
“We need recreation, we need kids and we need that to be our strong point,” Wagner said.
Michael Giannone of Cornell Street said recreational upgrades are needed, noting the basketball courts at Jordan Road School are terrible and there is no barrier around the pond at the Pit.
Chuck Westcott, co-chairman of the EDAC and a past president of the Somers Point Business Association, encouraged the committee to reach out to the business community.
“My wife and I chose to move to Somers Point because it’s quaint in kind of a contemporary way,” he said. “But I am concerned about some of the things that are happening, some of the changes.”
He said he feel the city is well-managed overall but that the businesses owners feel like they don’t have a voice.
“I can tell you from my experience, many are very interested in what’s happening,” Westcott said. “I would encourage a steering committee to make a concerted effort to reach out to the business owners.”
Traffic was also a point of contention.
Walt Gregory of Broadway said he longs for the days of the traffic circle where Shore Road, MacArthur Boulevard, Somers Point-Mays Landing Road and the Route 52 causeway meet.
“I live with our new Shore Road, Route 52 intersection. I live with it every day, and to be honest with you, I thought the circle was a lot better,” he said. Gregory said traffic trying to turn right onto Route 52 backs up passed the intersection of Broadway, preventing cars from pulling out.
Disciascio referred to her street as Holly Hills Highway because people trying to get to Ocean City from the Garden State Parkway via Laurel Drive cut through the neighborhood to try to get around the traffic.
“It seems like infrastructure and traffic flow are of great concern because it’s not safe for us,” she said.
Diane Borgia of Bala Drive, who moved to the city four years ago, said she loves that it is so conducive to walking and biking, noting she joined the Monday morning walking group.
Her concern is the difficulty of crossing Route 9 amid heavy traffic, noting she moved to the city in January when it was “relatively quiet.” She said Route 9 is “somewhat disconnected, like a highway and not in character with the rest of the city.”
“My request is that while considering new development and approval for new businesses, take into account, do you want Somers Point to become a business district or do you want a community of home-grown local shops and stores.”
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff