MANASQUAN — The Manasquan Planning Board met on Tuesday night and unanimously approved an application to demolish The Salty Whale, located at 390 E. Main St., and subdivide the 36,620 square foot property into five conforming residential lots.
The application submitted for a major subdivision plan was fully conforming and requested no variances for approval. Planning Board Attorney George McGill called the application a “subdivision as of right,” meaning it is within the applicant’s right to move forward with the development as it complies with existing zoning regulations.
The applicant, 390 E. Main Street LLC, was represented by attorney Kevin Starkey and called upon engineer William Merunka who provided insight into the plan to demolish the more than century old building that has housed several bar and restaurant businesses over the years. The Salty Whale is currently operating at the location and plans to remain open until “the time is right” according to a Facebook post this week.
Also in attendance was Neil Ducharme of Ralco Builders, the applicant and developer responsible for constructing all five houses. Following a question from a member of the public, Starkey revealed that Ducharme is the contract purchaser of the 390 E. Main St. property.
The property lies in a single-family residential zone. According to the application, the proposal seeks four 7,137-square-foot lots and a fifth lot on the corner of East Main Street and North Potter Avenue measured at 8,070 square feet.
Since the application is seeking a major subdivision, state statute requires the applicant’s approval in front of the planning board, Mayor Michael Mangan revealed.
Prior to the board’s unanimous approval of the application, Chairman Robert Young queried board engineer Albert Yodakis’ opinion on the proposed application, asking “Is there any legitimate reason for turning down this application?”
To which Yodakis replied, “There really is not. This has been a residential zone for as long as I’ve been involved with the borough, which has been roughly 20 years now. This is what our master plan wants this area to be. This has been a non-conforming use for as long as its been there to my knowledge. It may not be popular, but what the applicant is coming in with is exactly what the borough master plan states it should be.”
McGill added, “The lots are all conforming, there’s really no issue.”
In addition to members of the public commenting on the application, Mayor Mangan added, “I am personally disappointed and it saddens me that we see an iconic property leaving the community, it does. But if the owners of a private property have decided to do this with their property, I think what has been presented here tonight, since it falls in line with all of the other requirements of the borough, is an application that respects at least what the borough is trying to do.”
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