Get ready for a Margate water park along Amherst Ave. It’s coming, no matter what you were told in the past.
According to Margate Zoning Officer Roger McLarnon, plans for a floating water park, adjacent to Jefferson & Amherst Ave, recently received NJ DEP approval. This was announced on Jan. 16, 2020. LISTEN >
DEP: Department of Environmental Protection has approved plans for Margate Waterpark.
Dredging has also been approved for that underwater parcel of state-controlled property.
City still waiting for Army Corp of Engineer approval. That should be ‘just a minor formality’ says the city.
McLarnon hopes it gets to the Margate Planning Board soon…. hopefully by Easter.
As is many times the case, controversial projects like these are approved during the winter months, when most taxpayers (2nd homeowners) are not here.
Irony: Margate Commissioners Mayor Becker and Commissioners Amodeo & Blumberg are, in effect, creating a commercial boardwalk along the bay on Amherst Ave.
Note: Blumberg is the only commissioner that is reportedly in support of an ocean front, non-commercial boardwalk.
Note #2: McLarnon is also the zoning officer for Ventnor, where officials have suppressed the sharing of Ventnor Planning Board meeting video.
I feel so sorry for the residents of Amherst Avenue. Basically, this is going to ruin their home values, create total chaos and noise, never mind other goings on. Just the screaming and the “Marco Polo’s” going on all day and night.
The City is becoming an arcade and not the lovely town it used to be.
Perfectly stated. If I wanted to live in Ocean City I would have bought there instead.
Precisely! The space is being wasted by an absolute disaster of a project. The mayor and his cronies have truly pulled one over on the wonderful people of Margate. Never mind the water park “basically ruining” the home values in the area.
No, I am focused on a far more bone chilling consequence of having a water park. Imagine the euphoric laughter that this project will undeniably transmit to surround restaurants and dwellings (of which there are many). I will be able to get no rest knowing that there are parents and children forming lifelong memories; all while on BAYFRONT property.
In my humble (and expert) opinion, the space is better suited for an eight story apartment complex that floats.
Not surprised! The clowns running Margate always do things “on-the-sneak” in the off season. It must be benefitting them or they wouldn’t have approved this ridiculous, last-thing-we-need in the restaurant area nonsense. It will be a traffic/trash disaster.
Margate is already such a lovely town! Why are you trying to destroy it? I can already see the traffic jams in summer. I feel extremely sad for the citizens.
I think this is a great idea! Having grown up in Margate it was a fun place to live, then all the places for kids to go were sold and houses & condos went up for peoples summer homes. Time to get back to fun again, we are a Seashore afterall!
I also grew up in Margate. There were only a few places to go. We used to fish off the docks by the Margate bridge and off of the Longport bridge. We also used to spend hours playing baseball games on the Jerome Ave. fields and in the school yards.
The golf course on Jefferson Ave. was a popular and affordable destination. That was the only place that was sold for condos and summer homes.
However, the respect for property, neighbors, and the police has eroded since my youth.
Just watch the beach on Memorial Day weekend. There was never a time when crowds of kids caused so much mayhem and littering on the beach. We would never think of being drunk in public. And assaulting a police officer? Our parents would kill us. Not today! Times have changed and so must we.
The water park is a bad idea. Show some respect for the people by the bay. People who have invested their hard earned money for a peaceful and enjoyable summer. It does not give others, including me, who cannot afford to live there, the right to simply make a peaceful living situation into a carnival atmosphere.
Know why you don’t see swimming in the bay now? Because it’s super gross. Good luck with that business.
Clearly, the corrupt 3 Amigos lined their pockets on this deal. What a disgrace, absolutely a disgrace. And yes, the bay is gross, people are going to get sick, it will fail!
This statement is wrong. Water clarity depends on many factors in the bay. Some days you can have very clean water and other it can be murky. Depends on the wind tide and weather.
Seriously. I could never imagine letting my kids swim in the bay…. I can’t imagine me as a kid going into the bay to swim … it’s a dumb idea that won’t make money …. I wonder who is responsible for testing the water quality daily to ensure it’s safe to swim in… shouldn’t that be a requirement for this project ??
Suckers.
Horrible idea! This area is already a hazard on summer week ends. Someone will be seriously hurt or killed with this added chaotic masterpiece. Margate used to be beautiful. The three amigos are a true sh*t show!
Traffic on Amherst Avenue during the Summer months is very heavy. Also, many people speed along with no concern for the people; especially the children. There is not enough parking at the present time. Visitors park illegally and in front of private driveways.
When any type of business is being considered, why is not the parking considered? Amherst Avenue needs strict safety enforcement either by installing speed bumps or blinking lights.
Now with this impending water park for children, the danger increases. It is only a matter of time there will be an accident.
I live on Amherst .. of course have no say.. having speed bumps and blinking lights is a great idea for this upcoming ridiculous venture .
Who owns it and what are the leasing terms?
Whoever owns it clearly has close ties to the corrupt 3 Amigos and the favorable lease terms will benefit them. The real lease will never be made public, eyes wide open folks!
Completely disgusted with the people running Margate to allow this to happen. I hope they lined their pockets well at the expense of local residents.
When this bay lot was purchased a few years ago, it was supposedly sold for a “jet ski marina”. Funny how things changed to a water park. A similar water park in Stone Harbor run by the same people has local residents furious with the constant loud noise of screaming kids and the parking issues.
Sounds like a great idea to bring it to Margate, right? Say goodbye to real estate values in this once beautiful and peaceful area of Margate.
What do the restaurants in the area think of this idea?
Note #2: McLarnon is also the zoning officer for Ventnor? Two Full Time jobs at same time?
Do Margate and Ventnor now share services? Is Zoning Officer Double Dipping on Salary, Pension and Benefits?
Perhaps why Margate zoning is out of control.
Simple solution: everyone park your cars on both sides of Amherst all summer long. Do not park your cars in your driveway or garage. Leave those spaces for your friends and family. Occupy all the spots on Amherst from Thursday to Monday to discourage anyone from going to the water park.
I hope the kids enjoy the crabs crawling up their legs in the bay because there are thousands of them down there!!! I went in for 5 minutes to repair a boat and had two crawling up my legs last summer!! Literally thousands of them in that area!
How do the commissioners plan to keep the bull sharks out of the water park?
Oh those poor poor people. Facing plummeting property values and financial ruin from their bay front second homes. Oh the humanity!
They’ll be in soup lines right next to the people near the dog park and golf course. Seriously, DO YOU REALLY FEEL SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE NEAR THE WATER PARK? It may be a struggle, but I think they just might squeak by.
But we are not totally at odds. I too have a gripe with the powers that be past and present. WHERE WAS THIS THING WHEN I WAS A KID! Our water park was jumping off the Longport bridge.
With boats going in and out all day, seems like an accident waiting to happen.
There is no parking for us boaters. And it sucks! Also time for the Keeper to go.
I just had a terrible experience with young people congregated at Washington Avenue and the beach. My living room faces the beach and the 13-15 year olds yelled into my condo and called me such names I can’t even write them.
I have taught high school English for 30 years and am a professor at Rowan. Not one time have any of my students spoken to me this way, and, if they had, there would have been some kind of help from administration.
I am 77 and can’t sit in my living room or deck without this kind of language. Three police cars came, and they can’t do anything unless they hear it themselves. This has been a problem all summer. These are local kids on bicycles.
I have to say it was one in particular and some of the others told him to stop. These kids need somewhere else to go. I have seen incidents this past summer with some of these young girls that break my heart.
I have not calmed down yet. I know this has nothing to do with the water park, but my problems might turn in to your problems unless we find a solution. (No masks no social distancing).