The proposed plan to create a Margate hotel overlay zone, adjacent to Lucy the Elephant, has been killed for now. Over 250 packed the Margate Commissioners Chamber. Overflow crowds poured onto corner of Washington and Ventnor Ave. Residents mostly angered by the lack of municipal transparency. Poor public notification process.
Still, the Margate Mayor and Commissioners couldn’t understand why residents were so angry. Margate’s elected leadership claim to have offered plenty of opportunities for public input.
Listen:
BEST of Margate Commission HOTEL OVERLAY 9.20.18b Margate Commisioners Part one 9.20.18 Margate Commisioners Part Two 9.20.18Outdated, yet legal way to post public notice, is local newspaper with low readership and circulation. The Press of Atlantic City.
Nobody reads the Press of Atlantic City
Susan Rubin: ‘Really no evidence that a (stakeholders) meeting was held. In regards to the masterplan, who wrote it? Are you looking to bring gaming to Margate? You got in bed with a gaming group.’
- Remington & Vernick
- SOSH Architects
- Spectrum Gaming Group
- Levinson Institute for Hospitality & Tourism
Spectrum Gaming Group specializes in the economics, regulation and policy of legalized gambling worldwide. They provide research and professional services to public- and private-sector clients.
Latest Margate Master Plan draft was co-written by those connected to Hotel, Gaming & Hospitality industry?
Commissioner Maury Blumberg and John Amodeo said the master plan was developed by a committee of professionals that spent years researching before recommending a hotel overlay zone.
The Margate commission had no choice. They voted to withdraw the ordinance. Note: by law, it could come back as a different ordinance, for review.
Margate taxpayers appalled by the lack of municipality transparency and proper public input. Many just heard about the hotel overlay plans, over the past few weeks.
Sharon Ianoale, is property manager of the 9600 building. It’s a high-rise with 246 units. She claims Margate commissioners failed to communicate properly. Commissioners say they always notify the public about stuff like this. Ianoale and the entire room, disagreed.
Some residents are threatening to form a PAC, a Political Action Committee committed to voting OUT the 3 commissioners, in Spring of 2019.
A representative of the Margate Planning Board, zoning officer Roger McLarnon, admitted that the current, amended master plan is NOT on the city website. An older draft is only online.
Mayor Becker hand selects the Margate Planning Board.
Also discussed: COAH – The Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) was created by the Fair Housing Act of 1985.
Did Richard Helfant of Lucy lie about John Amodeo? Helfant & Lucy doesn’t want to sign a new agreement, according to Mayor Becker.
City Admin Richard Deany: Ground under Lucy is city property. Lucy is owned by the city. Lucy is a national landmark. Helfant doesn’t own Lucy. The Save Lucy Committee doesn’t own Lucy.
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