Long Branch Oceanfront Townhouse Proposal Proposed to Planning Board

By Christopher Sheldon

A proposal by TDB Associates to build 11 oceanfront townhouses was presented to the Long Branch Planning Board for the first time on Tuesday night.

The Seaview Park Condominiums are located to the north of the proposed development on Marine Terrace and the Promenade Beach Club is located directly south.

The owners of the Promenade and the Seaview Park Condo Association also had legal representation at the meeting. 

Seaview is represented by Thomas Hirsch and Promenade is represented by Michael Holzapfel.

Seaview's request for a temporary restraining order, that would prevent the board from hearing the case, was denied in October. However, they are we are still pursuing the legal argument that the city acted unlawfully when it converted the property from beachfront recreational to infill residential without any public notifications or hearings.

"At this point, the Planning Board has jurisdiction over the proposal," Long Branch Planning Board Attorney Martin Arbus said.

The townhomes would sit on a merged lot that was once consisted of a beachfront residential use lot and an infill residential lot. The Long Branch Zoning Board of Adjustment ruled in September that the split zone lot should be designated as infill residential, allowing TDB's proposal to move forward.

Six of the townhouses, which have balconies on their second and third floors, would face the Seaview Park Condos, and the other five would face promenade.

The owner of the beachclub and the condo residents have argued that people on the balconies would have direct views into their pools and bedrooms, respectively.

TDB's engineer/planner Vincent Orlando said the units would be built at 45 degree angle so residents' views would be more toward the ocean and not the bedrooms or pool area.

The proposed townhouses have a single driveway into and out of the site and 28 parking spaces. Twenty two of the spaces will be located in 11 2-car garages and the remaining six will be located on site.

Residents have argued that the overflow parking will overwhelm the neighborhood.

Orlando said the amount of parking on the site satisfies the city's parking requirement.

"The on site parking is more than adequate for the site," Orlando said.

Orlando also said the plan meets all of the city's requirements and that no variances are needed for it to be built, just site plan approval by the planning board.

No decision was made the board during Tuesday night's meeting, and the application was carried to March 18 at 7:30 p.m.