L.B. master plan adds transit village

L.B. master plan adds transit village
Medical-residential zone, second community center in revised plan
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
Long Branch’s master plan is a work in progress, and a revised master plan that creates a new district and expands on the concept of a transit village was presented to the Long Branch Planning Board last week.

Zoning Officer Michelle Bernich, Assistant Planning Director Carl Turner and engineer David Maski presented the board with a list of revisions that have been made to the rough draft that was made public in December.

The trio held a public hearing for the master plan at the Jan. 19 meeting, and along with the list of revisions, they presented the board with a summary of public comment.

“We did an overview of the master plan at the last meeting,” Maski told the Planning Board at the Feb. 16 meeting. “We did a presentation and took questions from the audience.

“Since then we have summarized the various revisions that were made,” he added. “The questions either already have been addressed in the master plan or they will be addressed in post-master-plan initiatives.”

Some of the revisions include: the addition of a beach management plan, the creation of a Broadway-Medical Residential Transition district, and an additional community center.

Maski explained the purpose of presenting the revised plan to the board and what the next steps would be in adopting the plan.

“The purpose of tonight’s meeting is to get any additional comments, questions, concerns that any of the board members may have before we move on to the final draft,” he said.

Maski said the group will have an informal workshop with the City Council on Feb. 23 and be back before the Planning Board on March 16, when the board could take action to adopt the master plan.

The board members had no comments or questions about the master plan, and Turner explained that they feel comfortable with the plan because of public reaction.

“The master plan document was posted on the city’s website, and I believe we have received 850 hits,” Turner said. “As of tonight, since that time, there have been zero questions of us by phone or by email from anyone in the public.”

Maski admitted that there was some confusion with some of the recommendations in the master plan, particularly the recommendation to develop the area around the train station.

“There was some confusion on what ‘transit village’ actually meant,” he said. “In essence it is to reconnect that neighborhood that was split by the rail yard,” he added. “It was really to correct what used to be a more vibrant neighborhood than it is today.”

Turner followed, saying the transit village would work and that there might be a large stakeholder pushing for it.

“The hospital [Monmouth Medical Center], as a major stakeholder, is very interested in this because they are looking for additional facilities for offices and also for housing for nurses and interns,” he said. “They have contacted the city to look at doing something in that area also.”

The only member of the public to speak at the meeting was Beachfront South resident Diana Multare, who has been critical of the transit village concept but was intrigued by the idea of the hospital using the area.

“I still have some reservations about transit villages, but Mr. Turner’s comments are intriguing to me,” she said. “It makes a lot of sense if the hospital staff is interested in something like that.”

Multare, however, disagreed with the idea that there is a disconnect between the neighborhoods around the station.

“I would disagree with the idea that the train station has made significant alterations in the concept of neighborhood,” she said. “I frankly don’t see a major disconnect between west of the railroad station and east of the railroad station.”

After the meeting, Turner said he disagreedwithMultare’s assessment, saying that the biggest complaint from the time the rail yard was constructed in the 1970s was that there was no interconnect between the neighborhood and that it is hard to move around the area,

Turner also said that once the master plan is adopted, it is possible for the city to seek funding to look toward creating an interconnect to alleviate some of the problems.

Another frequent complaint that Turner addressed during the meeting is the living conditions around the train station due to a high volume of foot traffic and noise.

“The planners are attempting with transit village to take an area that isn’t desirable and make it as desirable as they can,” he said.

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.

Some of the recommendations included are the development of a riverwalk along the riverfront, moving City Hall east on Broadway, a new pier and ferry terminal, and permitting home offices in residential zones.

Other topics addressed include the coastal evacuation plan, 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.