Belmar council adopts amendment to Seaport Redevelopment Plan

“This was an important ordinance,” Councilwoman Maria Rondinaro said. “This is our opportunity to fulfill our campaign promise to the residents that we would help stop overdevelopment and stop massive projects from coming into Belmar.”

The amendment rescinded a 2022 ordinance which had increased the established al- lowable building heights from 52 to 60 feet to accommodate a fifth floor. The change had been brought for review before the planning board,

which had recommended further revisions regarding the ground level setbacks for such buildings.

The council, however, elected to proceed without making the revisions, following a recommendation by the borough’s redevelopment counsel, Joseph Baumannn, who was introduced by Mayor Gerald Buccafusco.

The first recommendation asked the governing body to “take a fresh look at the [re- development] plan,” Mr. Bau- mann said, which was already the intention of the mayor and council.

The board’s second rec- ommendation asked that the ordinance be changed to ac- commodate specifically for the front yard setbacks on Eighth and 10th avenues that would also be altered with the adoption of the new ordi- nance.

“A vote in favor of the or- dinance would be [to adopt] the ordinance [as written] and it would also be a rejec- tion of this recommendation, the reason being…in order to allow you to relook at the

entire plan and address the specific recommendation as part of a bigger analysis you intend to take,” Mr. Baumann told the council.

The lone no vote was cast by Councilwoman Jodi Kinney, who said she “was fine with the original ordinance,” as amended in 2022.