Doo Wop League wants change in CAFRA rules

[wildre]

From Todays' AC Press

Doo Wop League wants change in CAFRA rules
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, [phone]
Published: Tuesday, April 4, 2006
Updated: Tuesday, April 4, 2006

WILDWOOD — The Doo Wop Preservation League hopes to convince the state that the Wildwoods need their own rules to encourage preservation of the island's aging doo-wop motels.

Architect Richard Stokes, a league member, suggested special Coastal Area Facilities Review Act, or CAFRA, rules should be created to make expansion and renovation of existing doo-wop buildings financially feasible; otherwise owners might sell or see their properties turned into condominiums.

The new rules would also support the development of new properties with doo-wop architectural features.

League President Dan MacElrevey said Monday that the league is asking the island's mayors to meet and reach agreement on what needs to be included in the rules, then the island's municipalities can propose the changes to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

He compared them to the so-called Atlantic City rules that permitted the development of that city's high-rise casinos.

In particular, the league wants existing motels to require only one parking space per unit to allow for expansion on properties of limited size instead of two spaces per unit.

The league proposes reducing the on-site parking requirement through a program that would instead allow owners to receive credits for contributions to a parking fund and for doo-wop design features.

The Greater Wildwoods Hotel Motel Association has proposed similar rules to encourage hotel renovation and construction.

Jack Morey, of the preservation league, said he is particularly concerned that the state encourage “unique, playful ‘Wildwood' architecture” in both the buildings and their signs.

Morey said the small motels and the new high-rises planned in Wildwood can co-exist and at the same time maintain the island's doo-wop flavor.

“The world has lots of different types of consumers. Big hotels, little hotels — there's a market for all if they're good ones,” Morey said.



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[Cindy]

Good article. Wonder what will happen.

The DWPL & Greater Wildwoods Hotel Motel Association should buddy up on this issue.


Thanks for posting this.

[Al Alven]

Good stuff. Thanks, Marie!

Hopefully, the DWPL is able to get the proper cooperation from the state on this. Could be a very big, positive step.

I like the following quote from Jack Morey:

“The world has lots of different types of consumers. Big hotels, little hotels — there's a market for all if they're good ones."

I think this puts the proper emphasis on QUALITY.

Many people are mistaken in thinking that the DWPL is out there, just trying to save aging (and, in many cases, neglected) motels from the wrecking ball just for the sake of nostalgia.

The truth is, the league's goal is to save, preserve, maintain and improve these classic institutions, using them as a focal point of the blueprint to re-invent the Wildwoods as a unique, world-class resort.

[MMM]

Thanks Marie. Hope that something good comes of this.

I'm a little confused about the proposed change to the parking space rules - if I'm understanding this correctly, the proposal would be that Motel owners would only have to provide 1 parking space for each apartment, regardless of the size of the unit. IIRC, the current 1 parking space per apartment rule corresponds to apartments up to a certain size, and if they are larger than that size, the Motel needs to provide 2 spaces for those apartments. Do I have this right?