Two Ventnor Guys Podcast: Lance Landgraf & Mel Taylor
PODCAST: Why does Atlantic City’s Tourism District need it’s own Master Plan and zoning rules?
No better person to ask than Ventnor’s Lance Landgraf, Director of Planning for the CRDA – Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. Lance is also a Ventnor City Commissioner.
Listen to the ACprimetime Radio Podcast interview from March 17, 2017. Here are some items & questions discussed:
What does a CRDA Director of Planning do? What is a Master plan? What is ZONING? Why is it so important?
How does your work as CRDA Director of Planning…. compare or differ from what Elizabeth Terenik does… as the City of Atlantic City’s Director of Planning? Is there overlap? Maybe some friendly conflict on occasion?
Gardner’s Basin & Caspian Point are two Atlantic City areas RIPE for development, especially with a newly rebuilt Boardwalk leading there. How does the CRDA play a role with something like that?
CRDA assisted with zoning issues in a previous attempt….from a different developer/investor group, to turn the old Atlantic club/Hilton/original Golden Nugget into a water park.
Do preliminary plans from Ventnor’s R & R Development Group…conform to previous CRDA approvals for a waterpark at Atlantic Club? Did you already have a peek at what R&R Developers want to do?
So Atlantic City investors doesn’t waste time buying a property, does CRDA provide preliminary approvals….prior to major purchases?
Do you review and OK their plans…BEFORE they close on building? How does that process work?
‘Land banking’ is often seen as a negative, but it’s often a necessary tactic to create an attractive canvas for development.
Loss of ratables is probably the biggest negative while that land/parcel is ‘banked’. Please explain the rationale behind land banking. Revel district. Potential use of Eminent domain. Thoughts?
Re-zoning has raised some eyebrows…..concerns over Real Estate values being affected….which is normal. How does the CRDA respond to those concerns?
AC is on an island of Casinos, potential Waterparks, Restaurants, attractions… and residential neighborhoods. How does CRDA reduce chance of residential disruption…..from our fast growing/evolving…..really important…..casino industry & tourism district?