Margate Commissioners Blink. Will Delay Vote on Hotel / Condo Overlay Zoning Ordinance

margate overlay zoning planning board
Margate Commisioners

Sensing an all-out taxpayer revolt, Margate Commissioners have decided to delay a vote on the proposed and very controversial, Hotel / Condo Overlay Zoning Ordinance.

According to the Margate City website, Ordinance #17-2018 will be tabled indefinitely by the Mayor and City Commissioners and referred back to the Planning Board for further review.

The ordinance would likely open the door for potentially larger and taller development along the beaches of Margate.

The move is generally referenced within the 2017 Margate Master Plan. It was introduced on August 2, 2018. The ordinance was supposedly the subject of 30+ public meetings. Many residents claim to have never been made aware of such meetings.

The official hearing was scheduled for September 20, 2018.

Margate City Mayor Michael Becker, and his fellow Commissioners, John Amodeo & Maury Blumberg felt the heat. Too much confusion and misinformation circulating about the overlay zone.



Recommendations from the report, which were adopted after several public presentations, led to the development of various ordinances, including the Boutique Hotel/Condotel overlay ordinance. That ordinance was reviewed by the Margate City Planning Board and referred back to the Commissioners for adoption in its current form.

Mayor Becker said he wants the public to have a better understanding of the Master Plan process.

Becker also wants more public comment before anything further is considered by the Commissioners. The Margate Planning Board is another venue for this discussion. Both are important.

Margate citizens should attend Commissioner meetings, Planning Board meetings and School Board meetings.

According to the Margate City website, no vote or discussion of the Overlay Ordinance will take place at the September 20, 2018 Commissioner’s meeting.

Nonetheless, most expect a full house of concerned residents. Public trust of leadership running a little thin as of late.

‘Better safe than sorry’, says one Margate resident who will bring 5 of her neighbors to the next Commissioners meeting on Sept 20.


UPDATE SEPT 17, 2018.

Back on Sept 7, 2018, Margate City Commissioners explained how open & transparent they were…in reference to a proposed HOTEL ZONING OVERLAY on the beach blocks adjacent to Lucy the Elephant. Residents fear another high rise is coming…maybe a hotel…..and possibly more development between the bulkhead and the dune.

Commissioner Amodeo: “over 6 months…..every week….meetings were held & members of the public were invited. Business, Real Estate execs, faith-based groups, contractors, etc….to get input from all stakeholders.”

A grant of $242,000 was given to Margate to assist with this entire Master Plan update process.

A member of the public (Susan Rubin) asked Mayor Becker & Commish Blumberg / Amodeo.. When & where were those meetings held? Is there a public record of those meetings? Were ‘meeting minutes’ taken?

Mayor Becker asked Margate Zoning Officer, Roger McLarnon, if meeting minutes were taken.

So far, 10 days later…..those simple questions have not been answered.

Meeting info was published in the legal notices, in a newspaper that nobody reads anymore. The Press of Atlantic City.

4 thoughts on “Margate Commissioners Blink. Will Delay Vote on Hotel / Condo Overlay Zoning Ordinance”

  1. Be aware of more bike thefts……shed broken into, lock cut off, bike taken. 14 s.brunswick Ave. police report multiple break-ins.

  2. These unconscionable unethical officials need to stop pushing their self serving agenda.. Transparency must rule in Margate.

  3. They tried to sneak this through but failed and now they’re putting back to 3rd base where when the winter sets in they’ll try to pass it again when nobody’s around. This is far from over.

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