Sea Isle Zoning Changes

Zoning change would increase residential units atop businesses

Published: Friday, December 7, 2007

SEA ISLE CITY - City Council is considering changing zoning rules to allow more residences above stores, an effort mirrored in other shore communities to entice businesses to stay in business.
Sea Isle City's proposed ordinance would allow businesses in commercial districts to rebuild their properties with one residential unit per 1,250 feet of lot area on the property.

This could allow four to five residences above a business. Currently, only one is allowed.

City officials said they're considering the changes in an attempt to keep business districts intact and keep business owners away from developing their properties as residential only.

Apart from offering the incentive of extra houses, the proposed ordinance would prohibit new single and double family dwellings in business districts.

"We've been losing our business community," City Councilman Michael McHale said. "We sat down with our business community about what can we do … We sat down and came up with a consensus on what is best for the town."

"The first floor (should) stay commercial, that's the most important," he said.

Although the proposal, which faces a public hearing later this month, has strong support, not everybody is convinced the added density is what the city needs.

Councilman William Kehner said he questioned the density that would apply to business districts that are outside the downtown district in the heart of the city.

A 5,000 square-foot lot can have four residential units above the store.
"I myself feel that's a little too dense for the whole business community," he said.

"I'm not going to fight it at this time, because we need to give some kind of shot in the arm to the businesses to assist them. I'm hoping that it's in the right area and doesn't get out of hand in the other areas," he said.

Kehner said he would wait for the public hearing and for feedback from the city's Planning Board before making up his mind.

Sea Isle City's proposed ordinance also changes the fees for a capital-improvement fund for parking.
Properties that do not meet parking requirements but receive a variance must pay $20,000 per parking space to a city fund to purchase alternate parking. This payment is currently $1,500.

Stone Harbor and Ocean City are pursuing somewhat similar approaches to residential units above storefronts. In November, Ocean City passed an ordinance that allows as many as two duplex condominiums above shops and restaurants downtown on 30-foot lots.

Stone Harbor introduced a controversial ordinance last month that would create a waterfront district allowing two residential units above a business in the district. That ordinance also faces a public hearing this month.

Dustin Laricks, vice president of Laricks Real Estate on Landis Avenue in downtown Sea Isle City, said he feels the zoning changes will promote the rehabilitation of Sea Isle City business districts.

"It's going to improve the downtown area, all the business districts in my opinion, because the commercial storefronts can't generate enough income to support the value of the land or to support the cost of new construction if you want to update," he said. "The bulk of the money is in residential."