Sunrise Wine and Tequila bar in Margate is building a roof-top bar/lounge above their existing business at 9700 Ventnor Ave..
The Margate Planning Board OK’d their plan on Jan 25: demolish two existing apartments and replace with a second floor, open-air lounge. This will presumably double the legal capacity of the business.
Listen to audio from Margate Planning Board Meeting. Jan. 25, 2024.
During the meeting, neighbors shared concerns about noise, trash, drunks, parking, and lower home values.
During public comment, Margate Business Association President Ed Berger said home values are lower when properties are located near bars. Berger lives near Maynard’s on Amherst Ave.
Neighbors were most concerned about lower home values a late night, noisy bar could bring to this once quiet part of town.
Planning Board member Tom Collins admits the Margate Masterplan is outdated again.
Tom Collins owns Colmar Hardware. His son Michael, is the Mayor of Margate.
Mayor Michael Collins picks the members of the Margate Planning Board.
All three elected Margate officials are involved in the building trades.
An impatient, often triggered Tom Collins, said something like this: ‘We’re bringing families back’. Of course, that’s note true. Year-round families are leaving the island at a faster clip. Very few are moving into Margate full-time. It’s too expensive.
Poor management of short-term rentals also contributes to the loss of full-time residents. Fewer families means declining school enrollment and greater chance for forced, school consolidation.
Margate votes yes for expansion and renovation of existing wine and tequila bar at the corner of Ventnor and Monroe Ave.
Lack of municipal transparency in Margate often cited as #1 complaint by taxpayers. See: Margate Business Admin Ken Mosca as latest example.
Margate doesn’t want you to see how the ‘sausage’ is made.
NOTE: City of Margate Planning Board still blocks access to live ZOOM VIDEO and audio feed of meetings. Remote public comment is also prohibited.
Should Margate turn video feed back on? Margate Mayor Michael Collins wants to know. He’s looking forward to resident input.
Margate, and most Jersey shore towns, do legal bare minimum to inform public about key meetings. ex: Press of Atlantic City is no longer reliable for legal notices. Circulation down by over 70% and only publishes a paper 3 days per week.
Margate, Ventnor and Longport blocking residents ability to ‘subscribe to legal notices’ email.
Margate Fact Check: Property will double business capacity. All parking requirements waived. No announced ‘enclosure’ for trash. Loss of light and air. Substantially greater noise levels from roof-top speakers, DJ and live entertainment. Security will be an issue so owner says they’ll hire security guards. Concerns about drunken crowds lingering at closing time.
Planning Board’s Tom Collins: Everybody’s leaving the island. Professional services, banks, gas stations are leaving the island.
I think it’s a great idea. The plan looks lovely.
As someone who attended the entire meeting; I believe taking one small piece of Mr. Berger’s testimony was disingenuous. Mr. Berger, as you will hear on the audio, spoke passionately and was completely supportive on behalf of the Margate Business Association for this application. I was extremely impressed with Mr. Berger’s knowledge of this and past business history in and around Margate.
It was also worth pointing out that Mr. Gallintino recited a list of business’ gone from Margate for many reasons over the years and the vote to approve, in my opinion, was for all the right reasons.
Best of Luck to the Owners and looking forward to your Success!
Mayor Collins and his Planning Board father have long track record of playing favorites. Allow noisy business to operate near homes: Essex Ave takeover, Ventura’s beach bar, mini-golf, etc.
And “Margate Elite Residents”, just like this site chooses to not even comment on the increased tax revenue, additional miscellaneous reference, construction jobs created, and service jobs created from this project – becuase it doesn’t suit their agenda.
I feel for the next door neighbors who’s houses just took a dump in value. Nobody should have to live 10 or 15 feet from a rooftop venue.
They previously lived 10-15 feet from a liquor store. I guess they just found out they’re in the commercial zoned part of town.
The issue from rooftop deck is loud music from DJ or band. Current business is an indoor liquor store/bar with typically daytime / early evening hours.
The new business will have loud partiers on the roof until at least midnight.
Mayor Mike Collins and his whining, Planning Board father, Tom Collins, are unethical tyrants that pick winners and losers.
Baglivo can’t be trusted either.
Just keep in mind that “Margate Elite Residents” is a Facebook group run by 3 local guys in the trades, with an axe to grind with the elected officials. I’m sure if they had more work, they wouldn’t be as sour.
I have known and done business with Steve Baglivo for a number of years:
He is a kind and fair person, who has reasonable boundaries as any responsible businessman / landlord should possess.
To say that “he can’t be trusted” WITHOUT proof is baseless, unfair, and disingenuous.
Additionally, to to paste his photo WITHOUT cause is unprofessional and severely tarnishes the already unstable reputation of this website.
So why is Steve Baglivo’s picture in this article? It is not his project
Business is located in a commercial zone, period.
Upgrades look amazing.
City has laws regarding noise etc, now the City has an obligation to enforce laws regardless of who the Commissioners are.
If residents dont like the owners or elected officials, thats a personal problem.
What residents should be asking is.
The ratables in the City are booming, why are the taxes not going down by leaps and bounds?
Why do you think taxes aren’t going down?
That mantra – “in a commercial zone” doesn’t fly. All of Margate is rapidly becoming a commercial zone; where Residents just happen to exist.
Just look at the current mixture of residences and commercial in the over-developed Bay area.
No considerations were given to the residences that were ALREADY THERE for years prior to the new Zoo like atmosphere of today. When they got rid of all the Bars in the Bay area (a/k/a “Barbary Coast”) the City Planners wanted the Bars replaced with HOMES – they built the homes – drew us in – now they are reverting to the Zoo again.
No thanks, I’m out.
No one should have to live next to this. It is unacceptable. Michael is unethical like his father and father-in-law.
Just like none of us should be living with rental units that are not properly set with the city.
Do your job, elected officials!
No one is being forced to live next to it. They have free will, and can certainly move if they choose to.
All of Margate is rapidly becoming a commercial zone; where Residents just happen to exist.
Just look at the current mixture of residences and commercial in the over-developed Bay area. No considerations were given to the residences that were ALREADY THERE for years prior to the new Zoo like atmosphere of today.
When they got rid of all the Bars in the Bay area (a/k/a “Barbary Coast”) the City Planners wanted the Bars replaced with HOMES – they built the homes – drew us in – now they are reverting to the Zoo again. No thanks, I’m out.
Im looking forward to a new spot for the residents of Margate. Looks amazing!
All you haters need to remember Margate’s rougher days. The city has turned around and looks great. It’s not perfect but it’s a nice community with some great amenities for the people who live and visit.
Back in the “rough days” the City Planners wanted badly to change the image of the Barbary Coast and sucked us in with new construction and micro managed it’s RE-development beautifully.
It was lovely. People bought in droves. Now it is reverting to the ZOO with residents being pushed aside to cater to over-commercialization.
Margate is not NYC but it wants to be. What’s the next chapter? Tear down again?
Luckily for the local residents who live near the Tequila Bar, this business is DOA.
No parking spaces were added by this business or have been created for its projected 180 customers((90 people capacity upstairs and 90 customers downstairs too) and there is no existing parking in this area of Margate either.
Margate police will have a field day ticketing parking violators.
It seems that most of people who frequented the Tequila Bar last year were local residents and they went less and less because the cost of mixed drinks are too expensive.
Add in the beautiful new liquor store that opened recently on the same block and it’s easy to see why the Tequila Bar is doomed to fail.
Also, the neighbors near the Tequila Bar have been told by the Margate City government to call the Margate police if this bar plays their music too loud after it reopens this year and that’s what we will do if disturbing the peace ordinances are not adhered to.
Bars degrade neighborhoods and hopefully, the Tequila Bar will run a quiet business.
If this business respects the neighborhood, it will be accepted with open arms, but if it doesn’t, we will enjoy watching it fail.
What an absurd comment to declare this DOA over parking, a liquor store and the price of drinks. Sounds like your wishing for something to fail has overtaken any capacity for rational thought. Drinks are expensive everywhere, especially premium ones. There is this newfangled thing called Uber or Lyft that people take especially if drinking is involved. And if they want to go OUT a liquor store versus place to gather is irrelevant.
You’ve clearly let your hopes overtake reason. Do better.
The construction project that will become the future Tequila Bar, is in total disarray so far. What a mess!
Is the Margate board paying attention to what is going on at the corner of Ventnor and Monroe? Not only is the old structure gone, but the new construction looks like it was one of those buildings in Ukraine, bombed by the Russians. Even the foundation is gone.
Was this in the plans approved by The Margate City planning commission?
Not only is construction looking ugly, but the dust and dirt being released into the air is unhealthy for residents.
Right the police will be called for disturbing the peace! That is an oxymoron. Calling the dispatches is like calling Comcast or Verizon. Poor customer service and no results.
Good Luck with That! They don’t know the laws exit.
I live next to Ventura’s. I listen to blaring music at 90+ decibel from the illegal beach bar that Margate Commissioners allow without permits from the NJ DEP.
Margate allows by ordinance a 65 decibel level for music. The music is so loud, many residents call the police repeatedly.
The Margate police responded and told residents they can’t enforce the ordinance since they don’t have a decibel meter.
Even if they had one, they’re not certified to read it.
Now when residents complain, police no longer respond.
So don’t get your hopes up that the police will do anything.
Once again, the Margate City good old boy network is alive and well.
Remember why the Barbary Coast was torn down on Amherst Ave to begin with – DO YOU REALLY WANT THAT TO RETURN. Look at History people.
I would like to thank the author of this article for informing the residents of Margate just how badly we need change in our local government.
This project is what most shore neighborhoods are trying to rid themselves of: Bars.
Bars bring problems including noise late into the night, careless drivers who have had “one too many”, fights and arguments, litter and trash and lower property values.
The Tequila Bar as proposed, might be perfect for the Las Vegas strip, but Ventnor Ave is much more peaceful and subdued with a few exceptions.
Sure, downtown Margate has a couple of bar/restaurants, but they are more like restaurants to enjoy food with wine, bee, or sprite. Customers are more like casual diners, not drinkers who want to party into the night and tie one on.
I am all for business growing in our fine city, but not at the expense of turning Margate into what Wildwood has become.
We are beyond that mess, so I suggest that if this establishment disrespects our neighborhood, we boycott the Tequila Bar.
We really don’t need a bar in our fine city that badly anyway.