Point Pleasant Beach Has Big Plan To Preserve Downtown

POINT PLEASANT BEACH – Local officials have a big plan to preserve the borough's downtown and preserve and promote its history.

The Borough Council has adopted an ordinance to create a Downtown Historic Overlay District on Arnold and Bay avenues, which will provide incentives to preserve Point Pleasant Beach’s historic seashore character and buildings built between 1880 and 1980.

The intent is to preserve existing buildings in their historic style, features and materials. Where preservation is not practical or appropriate, new construction and exterior work compatible with the historic seashore character of that building’s construction period would be necessary, according to borough officials.

The complete plan is outlined in a presentation entitled: "A New Image For Our Historic Downtown."

The plan notes that an economic downtown can have a negative effect on all businesses. But the plan speaks to ways to prevent the lasting damage caused by economic problems.

The plan involves "enhancing the image" of storefronts and signs, emphasizing the importance of street furnishings – such as lighting, benches/seating, trees/planters, bike racks – as well as signage, lighting, windows and awnings.

It also means being pedestrian-friendly and having wide sidewalks, outdoor dining, street events, shopping nights, sidewalk sales and galleries. It also means having access to safe bike-ped routes, trolley and rideshare locations.

The ordinance comes with a long set of plans, including design guidelines that will be used by the Historic Preservation Commission in their recommendations to the construction code official, zoning official, Planning Board or Zoning Board.

They include:

• New construction and exterior renovations should repeat building lines, detail, scale, proportion, textures, materials, color, and building form of the era and area.
• Parapets and embellishments should be preserved and enhanced.
• All facades should utilize the approved color palette developed by the Historic Preservation Commission.
• Frontage façades should reflect an architectural style and materials from the period of origin of the building. Vinyl and aluminum siding should be removed.
• Renovations and new construction in the Overlay District should employ an exterior paint palette of muted historic earth tones and coastal tones designated by the Point Pleasant Beach Historic Preservation Commission.

You can read more about the borough has planned here.