Master plan charts future of Long Branch

Master plan charts future of Long Branch
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
Vibrant pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods around the Long Branch train station, bed-and-breakfast accommodations, mixed-use development along the riverfront, and live-work spaces are part of a master plan that will guide the future of Long Branch.

That vision came a step closer to reality last week with the presentation of the city’s draft master plan.

More than 20 years after the last revision of the master plan, the Planning Board held a public hearing on the proposed updated master plan, which is on schedule to be adopted in March after review by the City Council.

Before the presentation, Assistant Planning Director Carl Turner provided some history, including that the city’s first master plan was created in 1955 and the most recent was adopted in 1988.

“A lot has happened since then. Long Branch is a city with a large residential component,” he said. “One of the goals is to create a place to live with controlled commercial [development].

“What we found is that if we make it a nice place to live, people will visit. If you make it a nice place to visit, then people won’t want to live here,” Turner said. “This plan emphasizes the balance between residential and commercial components.”

Engineer David Maski made the presentation in front of a packed City Hall on Jan. 19, explaining that the master plan is a policy document adopted by the Planning Board and that zoning to implement the plan is the City Council’s jurisdiction.”

Maski explained that he doesn’t recommend a lot of changes in the zoning of Long Branch.

“About 4 percent of the city’s acreage is vacant, which isn’t a lot,” he said. “There are no sweeping changes in the land-use plan. It cleans up some of the zones.”

Maski said the proposed transit village would extend a quarter of a mile around the train station.

“That will require the city to create “a community around the station that is primarily residential but also mixed use to make the train station a very lively place,” he said.

“Not only will people be getting on the train there, but they will be living and shopping as well.”

Maski said the plan also calls for a riverfront, mixeduse development along Branchport Creek.

“It combines a couple of existing zones between AtlanticAvenue and Branchport Creek,” he said. “What it

does is allow some comprehensive development, and the plan suggests the development that goes in there be mindful of its presence on the water. One of the goals of the master plan is to increase access to the city’s other waterfront.”

Maski suggested that live-work homeoffice uses such as attorneys and dental offices be allowed in residential zones throughout the city.

“The land use plan is recommending … to allow a conversion without upsetting the residential character of a particular building,” he said.

He previously suggested the city consider moving City Hall farther east on Broadway, and last week specified a site.

“Something should probably happen with this complex,” he said. “It is not the most efficiently laid out. We can move it down the road a bit, near McDonald’s,” he added. “It is important for the civic nature of the zone.”

Following the presentation, Planning Board Chairman Howard Marlin praised the plan.

“This project started over five years ago,” he said. “During this time, many hours were spent on this project. It’s not perfect, but it’s close to it.”

Residents had mixed views on the presentation, with some making recommendations and others highly critical of the plan.

Dennis Sherman, of Save Ocean Avenue, presented the board with a list of recommendations the group compiled for the waterfront area.

“We have been working on 14 recommendations with the city to improve the boardwalk with all kinds of modern ideas to make Long Branch a 12-month place,” he said.

Among the recommendations Sherman advocated are more public art, boardwalk improvements and traffic-calming measures.

Resident Diana Multare was unhappy with the city’s plan to move forward with the transit village and the ferry and pier project.

“The demands of the ferry terminal are incredible to me,” she said. “The way I see this is that Long Branch will be used as an area to move people around.

“Long Branch as a city will be lost. I think it’s kind of a joke for you to talk about quality of life in Long Branch.”

“As far as I’m concerned, this is not ready for a City Council ordinance,” she said. “You’ve got a lot of work to do. The pier is OK, but not the way it is connected to this ferry terminal.”

The master plan includes a comprehensive look at the city’s demographics, and plans for community facilities, historical preservation, open space and recreation as well as affordable housing and age-restricted housing.

Other topics include the coastal evacuation plan, the city’s parking facilities, and a proposed shuttle service. The complete draft plan can be viewed on the city’s website, www.visitlongbranch.com; click on master plan.

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter @gmnews.com.


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