SOMERS POINT — City planner Jim Rutala presented a brief update on the Master Plan re-examination process during a Planning Board meeting Nov. 20.
The step is required every 10 years for a municipality to maintain its zoning control. Rutala said the Master Plan is like a roadmap for the next decade, guiding capital and economic development with input from all community stakeholders.
“Nothing really happens without consensus. Building consensus is important,” Rutala said during the first meeting Aug. 22.
One of the major goals of a Master Plan is to prioritize future projects to strengthen support for grant funding, which is key to all aspects of running a city.
Rutala said the process provides a foundation for funding projects in resiliency, stormwater infrastructure, elevating structures, home improvement, coastal protection, road improvement and more.
He also noted the local economy has changed, with a trend toward a more seasonal population that is wealthier. While that may sound positive, insomuch that fewer people use city services year-round, it poses problems for businesses looking for workers and schools, whose funding is based partially on enrollment.
Rutala said Atlantic County has lost 24,000 jobs since 2006, including a 67 percent decline in accommodations and food service positions partially due to three casinos closing. He said the regional economy has not fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regarding the update, Rutala said he and his team have been meeting with several stakeholders to listen and collect information and ideas.
“We have met with the Somers Point Business Association and the Economic Development Advisory Committee and will be meeting with several other groups in next few weeks,” he said.
There are several ongoing planning efforts in Somers Point that may be incorporated into the plan, he said, such as the back bay plan released last month by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bay Avenue Resiliency Plan being prepared by city engineer Greg Schneider.
Among the priorities is addressing proposed coastal regulations. Rutala said in August that an important area in need of grant funding is resiliency efforts. He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is set to release new maps next year that will put nearly 1,000 city homes in a flood zone.
He said the new coastal regulations would require flood insurance on homes where it was not previously needed and dictate where and what can be built. With the sea level rising, the flood zones are likely to grow without significant preventive measures.
A breakdown of the homes includes 218 properties, all west of Route 9, and 81 properties on Bay Avenue that may be added to the A zone. Nine properties on Broadway, 14 on Bay Avenue and three along Patcong Creek and Somers Point-Mays Landing Road may be added to the V zone.
“Some homes will need to elevate to take advantage of lower flood insurance rates,” Rutala said, noting the new flood maps would take effect in 2027.
New homes built in the flood zones would have to be elevated by 6 feet, and construction would require state permits, engineering assessments and alternative analyses.
Rutala said he and others believe the FEMA regulations are based on faulty projections of sea level rise by 2100. He further argued that even if they were correct, there should be a more gradual approach rather than adopting something now that is expected 75 years later.
“We hope to present a draft Master Plan re-examination in March,” Rutala said.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff