By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
VENTNOR – Some of the comments offered by members of the community during a public hearing on the city’s Master Plan Re-examination report may be incorporated into the planning document, officials said Thursday, July 6.
The public hearing was held at the Ventnor Educational Community Complex to accommodate what officials expected could be a large crowd. Attendance was sparse, but commentary was welcomed, nonetheless. Problems with the livestream set up prevented those who wanted to view the proceedings until the video was posted on the city’s YouTube channel.
Officials said the presentation that served as an overview of goals for the next 10 years was a draft that could be updated after hearing from the public. The Planning Board, charged with developing a Master Plan review every 10 years based on state statutes, is necessary to maintain the city’s zoning authority, planning consultant James Rutala of Rutala Associates of Linwood said.
The draft document available on the city’s website addresses significant shifts in demographics, economic changes and evolving state environmental regulations since Hurricane Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rutala said a sub-committee of the Planning Board met on three occasions with members of the Board of Education, Ventnor Business Association, Atlantic County Regional Planning Department and the adjoining municipalities of Atlantic City and Margate. The committee also consulted with the NJ Departments of Community Affairs, Economic Development Authority and Department of Transportation. Members of the Master Plan Committee include Chairman Jay Cooke and board members Tim Koob, John Van Duyne, along with engineer and planner Roger McLarnon and attorney Leo Manos.
Former Mayor Tim Kreischer lamented there was limited representation on the committee formulating the plan.
“I understand people can have their comments tonight, but it’s not the same as sitting around a conference table with a free flow of ideas, give and take that can enhance an idea,” Kreischer said. “I think it’s a missed opportunity to have other residents, business people and Realtors sitting on the committee.”
Rutala said the process of developing the Master Plan Review would continue and revisions could be made. There will be another public hearing before the plan is adopted and sent to the Board of Commissioners for a final vote.
The city experienced a 25% drop in school enrollment and a 7.2% population decline since 2016. The city has shifted from an affordable year-round community for employees of the Atlantic City casino industry and is currently heavily reliant on the $8.3 billion tourism industry. Property values have risen 137% since 2019, mostly driven by investments from residents of North Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Kreischer said the Master Plan is one of the most important documents that a community can adopt and it needs to be vetted.
“I think it’s important that we get it right this time,” he said, offering a lengthy commentary on each section of the plan.
He said the city should move special events to the shoulder season; tax abatements currently offered to developers and owners of new multi-million-dollar homes may be a thing of the past; architectural design standards are needed; and incentives should be developed to encourage year-round residency.
Other residents spoke on the size of homes being built to replace aging three-bedroom cottages; parking requirements that wind up eliminating on-street parking that put a strain on the entire neighborhood; and converting historic single-family homes into black and white houses that lack character.
“We don’t want Ventnor to look like Ocean City,” resident Richard Gober said, suggesting the document needs to have some architectural controls.
Considerable discussion included the NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s REAL (Resilient Environments and Landscape) Rules, signed by former Gov. Phil Murphy in January that were scheduled to become effective in July but delayed for a year following an outcry from shore municipalities up and down the coast.
The ruling requires municipalities to adhere to higher elevations for new construction in flood zones. The rule adds 4 feet to the height of the first-floor joists of a new home, essentially increasing the height of the entire structure above the heights approved following Hurricane Sandy, as high as 44 feet.
“They are going to be like a small hotel,” one resident said.
The governing bodies of all three Downbeach towns approved resolutions rejecting the rulings stating they would substantially raise building costs, increase density, result in even larger homes on the city’s narrow lots and do little to solve the expected impacts of climate change 75 years from now.
“It’s a problem for shore communities,” Commissioner Lance Landgraf said, noting the city may have to evaluate if it will continue to allow third-floor development.
One of the more exciting proposals in the Master Plan is planned development of a 140-acre eco-park at Ventnor West, also known as Glass Beach due the glass bottles and broken glass remnants of the city’s former landfill along the bay.
The plan includes walking trails, access to the bay and interpretive signage.
“This could be a signature project for Ventnor that can’t happen anywhere else on Absecon Island,” Rutala said.
The plan also includes support for the city’s ongoing flood mitigation strategies, such as pump stations and elevating Wellington Avenue; enhancements for the city’s five commercial districts, including streetscape improvements; and upgrading utility infrastructure and replacing lead service lines. The plan also includes seeking funds to replace the remaining sections of the aging boardwalk and enhancements to Ski Beach, including replacing the boat ramp.
The board plans another public hearing before the plan is adopted in fall.
Copyright N.Lo Communication LLC, 2026
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