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The Asbury Park Master Plan Reexamination Report was unanimously adopted by the Planning Board Monday night.

The Report serves as an update to what is is essentially the City’s planning and development road map, and included changes based on community comments made during its unveiling earlier this fall and online.

“Subsequent to that last meeting…and based on the comments, the committee directed my office to make certain revisions to the plan,” said Michael Sullivan of Clarke Caton and Hintz. The Trenton based firm serves as the City’s Zoning Board planner and was hired to oversee the process.

The changes included clarifying the vision for a proposed arts district along Asbury Avenue and how it could maintain and improve upon the existing residential community, not push them out, Sullivan said.

There were changes calling for a closer look at the scattered site redevelopment area, the addition of a municipal composting program, and recreation programs for all ages. There was the addition of a historic property listing and update of the City’s parks and open space areas.

Mayor John Moor, a member of the Planning Board called for specific language to protect multi family homeowners who will see their neighborhood shift to a single family designation. The zone falls with the Main to Grand and Fourth to Asbury roadways.

Moor said through a quick analysis, he found 166 properties with 186 structures equal to 375 either ownership or rental units.

“If we were reduce this to all single family units, we would lose 198 rentals, which some are summer, affordable, and where artist and long time Asbury Park residents have lived,” Moor said. “I just want something in this report clarifying that we are not changing anyone’s [use].”

The ask is based on comments he made during the report’s unveiling that called into question how to protect the current density of the neighborhood should a property natural disaster or fire raze a structure, which would require the property adhere to current zoning laws.

Sullivan suggested adding a ‘grandfathering clause,’ which would stipulate the property is a pre-existing nonconforming use that will get to continue as such.

But Zoning Officer Barbara Van Wagner warned that such a change would need to be clearly outlined in an ordinance.

She also raised the question that any property facing a zone change needs to contact her office within a year’s time to verify their non conforming use through what is known as zone compliance. If this does not occur, the property would need to go before the Zoning Board.

“People are not aware that if there is no zoning compliance, verifying that nonconforming use, they have to go to the Zoning Board,” Van Wagner said. “Unfortunately, most people do not know about that one year clause.”

The year long process of updating the City’s Master Plan was led by a steering committee comprised Planning Board members, the City’s Director of Planning and Redevelopment, and resident Michael Sodano. Committee Chair and Planning Board member Barbara Krzak thanked the community for their input.

“Every couple of weeks to listen to applications, and we can hear your voices,” she said. “So I think it is a really wonderful thing that you came here and that you care, and I think that all of us hear that, and it really does help all of us.”

Sullivan said the report is focused on generating broader vision and goals, looking at land uses, with more focus on preservation, sustainability and open space, economic development, mobility, community facilities, urban design, and redevelopment.

“The recommendations within this document can be used as a basis for capital decision making, future zoning, land use, and subsequent studies,” he said.

Members of the community who provided final commentary on the plan included Werner Baumgartner, who addressed a universal lighting plan, and park and open space preservation; Doug McQueen, who addressed the correlation between housing and transportation equity; Tracy Rogers, who along with Linda Phillips Rev. Gil Caldwell and Felicia Simmons, raised concerns about affordable housing equity across the city, including the waterfront and downtown neighborhoods.

“When I first moved here 10 years ago, I remember going to whoever was in charge at time…because I wanted to know whether Asbury Park had the vision of inclusiveness – racially, gender, sexual orientation, etc.,” the North Beach resident said. “I guess I continue to ask that. In many ways…there is a specificity to the reality for us today that I think is significant. I guess I am suggesting that hopefully we can be open in many ways.”

To view the Reexamination Report, click here.

For on the Master Plan changes, click here.

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