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A proposal outlining a major redesign of the Memorial Drive shopping plaza has been scrapped and developers have now opted to update the existing structure.

Partners from Ron-Vin LLC received conditional approval on the updated application pending a full review to members of the Asbury Park planning board Monday. The vote was 4-0 with board chairman Herb Fehrenbach and board members Sara Ann Towery, James Henry and Seresa Grillo voting yes.

“What is there now will be what is there afterward, it will just look better,” said project attorney E. Carlton Kromer, Asbury Park, who presented the application.

Instead of an initial proposal to add larger glass windows fronting the businesses and a covered walkway held up by larger columns with geometric designs on the tops, the structure will now be refinished with stucco and changes will be made to the depth of the canopy that covers the walkway [shown above, at right]. The small support columns will be boxed out, decaying planters will be replaced, and new signage will be added.

Plans for the first redesign had also included the addition of a driveway and parking spaces in the rear of the building, and a breezeway cut through the building to give patrons ease of access from the rear parking lot to the store fronts. These plans will no longer occur.

During the public portion of the meeting, two city residents inquired whether tenants of the storefronts would be able to individually change the colors of the front facades, but were assured by Kromer his clients seek uniformity in color.

Planning board members had expressed disapproval of the updated design when developers presented the initial application in November. After having their application returned, principals of the project met with the design committee in the interim to gain further input. They presented changes that reflect the comments.

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