‘Lamberti’s is still a problem’ says Margate Solicitor John Scott Abbott. We have a list of what they have not complied with. They don’t have a conforming ramp. They haven’t fixed a dangerous concrete slope.
Code official Roger McLarnon sent violation notices regarding the Lamberti sidewalk.
By February 8, Lamberti’s either has to fix, or close it off. If they do nothing, we’re issuing them a summons because they have an unsafe public sidewalk.
Could there be a stop-work order?
Lamberti’s project along Amherst Ave has a lighting issue too. New exterior lighting which was never approved.
Abbott: ‘You can read the New York Times a block down off that light at night time. It’s way too bright. He violates our ordinance on lighting that we enacted after the infamous ‘blue house’ incident.’
Maybe a temporary sidewalk. Remove a parking lane. All the way down to Coolidge Ave. Direct people across the street at Monroe Ave.
From a liability standpoint, we need to protect the city of Margate.
Abbott: We’ve given Lamberti written notice the number of times we met him, met his people in August. We have a memo. We have writings to him.
Abbott: I know he’s had a lot of problems with this project but he’s not addressing various issues that we’ve asked him repeatedly to address.
Abbott: I don’t want to go to war with this guy. We want to work with him, but he’s got to respond and make these corrections and that sidewalk slope, we can’t ignore that. We’ve made other people tear out their concrete to do that. So we can’t let this slide. It’s got to be dealt with.
Margate Jim Leed’s Barbary Coast Marina vs Harbor Vista Homeowners Association.
Amherst condo homeowners want the city to withdraw building permits.
Abbott: We are not stopping the marina project unless there is a court order.
Amherst Avenue neighbors filed a complaint in Superior Court to declare the sale null and void.
Barbary Coast Marina owner Jim Leeds plans to build new offices and two residential units on his bayfront property. The land was ‘conveyed’ in exchange for replacing and maintaining 175 feet of deteriorated city-owned bulkhead.
Harbor Vista homeowners contend they will be irreparably harmed by the loss of public parking across from their bayfront townhouses.
Just another case of our Margate Commissioners and solicitor taking care of their buddies.
Lamberti’s .
This is a disgrace!!!!
Next it will be the Ventura’s high rise!
Get ready Margate. You voted for these guys.
41% of the voters voted for change.
59% voted to keep getting screwed.
Margate gave this land away to Lamberti in exchange for bulkhead repairs, now they are stuck with him. Giving taxpayer land away should have been voted on by the public – the whole thing STINKS. Solicitor Abbott complains but mark my words….NOTHING will change unless the whole administration has a house cleaning. There are several DEP violations on that site that are also being ignored.
What a JOKE!! Becker was warned clearly several years ago, “Lamberti does not have the money to finish this, do not let him start” Here we are several years later, still no real action to rid the neighbors of this disgraceful isore. And the tacky, classless lights! The lights are illegal – SO DO SOMETHING BESIDES TALK!
Lamberti has made a fool of you all!
The suffering neighbors on Amherst.
Another example of incompetent decision making by the previous Margate administration.
It’s public record that at the beginning of this fiasco a high ranking public official (not elected) advised the administration NOT to allow this project to go forward, but the advice fell on deaf ears.
Yes, all above replies are accurate. I live on AMHERST AVE. My observations this past Summer is just a glimpse of what’s going to follow.
Now that AMHERST is one way, it’s more dangerous. Cars going much faster. I’ve seen many a near hit, when people were dropped off to go to COOKIE’S. The problem is that the customers do not want to walk.
LAMBERTI’S old building was knocked down on March 29, 2019. It will be five years soon. If the funds were available, it should have completed within a year’s time.
Now many questions remain. Parking problems and if the restaurant will be successful. That’s a large building to fill on a year-round basis.
I’m having my phone on speed dial to the police. In the past had many of LAMBERTI’S customers parked in front of my driveway.
Also, I wonder if he is still is going to have take-out food? Sounds like a lot of fun is on the way!
Delays clearly too long, but you’re also rather conveniently ignoring very real impacts of COVID lockdowns and exposures, dramatically escalating costs of everything, labor shortages, significant supply chain issues and financial pressures on lending and labor pools.
Many of your comments remain to be seen, but things like a road diet and parking requirements only work with enforcement and penalties for non-compliance.
Don’t even want to THINK about all the congestion and NOISE once the trash pick ups start. Trash area is facing homes and no parking lot pick up like Cookies has. Not well thought out. Increased square footage = increased trash.
I’m looking forward to Lamberti’s being completed. Look around the Downbeach neighborhoods, nothing has stayed the same. We need more waterfront dining so let’s support Lamberti’s restaurant.
I live on Amherst. The Barbary idea is just another example of pay-o-la. Fix the bulkhead and we’ll give you all the variances you want. No restrictions. Talk about a cluster…
Margate will be chopped up and look like … And for the taxes we pay, the powers to be should listen. Oh…BTW live stream the meetings with open comments.
There was a multimillion dollar Phillies player that thrived when the fans supported him at a time he was down . As a resident of this prestigious small town , I read nothing but hate , nothing but rant and negativity about this project. It was approved and nothing can change at this point , yes there are violations needing to address, yes there has been long delays, as the entire world had been on a 3 year interruption from normalcy. Support is motivating to any reasonable person. The owner is in the home stretch , show support and we all win as residence of this prestigious town !
Love to see DEP violations addressed. Been a problem for years. It’s all in the history books.
People should focus on that. Solicitor Abbott, are you listening?
I agree with all the comments above. Going on five years and no end in sight. Biggest eyesore on the island. Even if he opens, he’ll be bankrupt in a few years and have to close, just like his other restaurant in Sea View. He’s totally incompetent, can’t manage to save his life, and only serves mediocre food. Meanwhile he gauges all the boat owners on the slips and makes a fortune that Margate should be collecting!
Since making Amherst one way, the traffic on Coolidge Ave is ridiculous. Huge delivery trucks and cars looking for parking zoom down the street. We have witnessed traffic accidents on the crossroad of Monmouth because there isn’t a 4 way stop. I parked on the side of my home on Monmouth & Coolidge and had my car totaled because of cars speeding. I lost my view of the bay once this monstrous building was built. Very unhappy.