2 Herald & Lantern 26 September '84

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Talks Aim at Avoiding Diamond Beach Hassles

By E.-J. Duffy DIAMOND BEACH - Developer Robert Ciampititi asked Lower Township Council last week to help him iron out any creases in his plans to transform 100 square acres here into t hg county's newest resort. Spreading his design before councilmen, the developer said he wants to anticipate any potential trouble spots before they become problems that might slow the $150 million project. I "What we're really asking from the township is some sort of conduit of conversation. . he added, suggesting a closer relationship between his staff and the township's to overcome hassles. "It's at least a 10-year plan," he noted, stressing the potential for $150,000 in taxes from owners, mostly seasonal, who would not severely strain municipal services. For those and related i reasons. Diamond Beach is regarded by many as Lower Township's "Gold Coast" — taxes from higher-priced resort homes offsetting the tax increases and the cifet of services for residents A of Villas and North Cape May. Many of them are retired and living on fixed incomes. Councilmen were enthusiastic about Ciampitti's plans and willing to ' ^work with him in reducing possible problems. Mayor Robert Fothergill told the developer: "I think you'll find that the council wjll do its upmost to assist you." C I A M P I T T I HAS DESIGNED a master plan for Diamond Beach in which he "tried to spread out" a combination of housing types and businesses below allowable zoning densities instead of "cramming it all up by the beach," he said. Since he controls the land, builders who want to construct housing units on it "don't develop it" unless they conform to his design. Ciampitti added. Currently, he continued, he's building a shopping center on Pacific Avenue to accommodate future owners of 1,500 housing units proposed for the entire tract. t Golden Homes of Avalon broke ground last year for the first of 115 Pelican Bay townhouses. Deposits were accepted before hand on several of the $96, 000-$ 110,000, two- and three-bedroom contem-'-porary units. At the same time, DiDonato Construction of Wild wood was breaking ground for the first of 500 Spanish-style townhouses on the beachfront. Four models were planned from $175,000- $350, 000. ORIGINAL PLANS CALLED for the shopping center, a 250-room motel, 615 townhouses, 225 singlefamily homes, a private beach, private country club, marina, and a substation for emergency units. The shopping center was supposed to open this -year - with a supermarket, y restaurant, pharmacy, travel agency, professional

offices, flower and gift shops. Not long after Ciampitti 's brother, William, sales manager for Diamond Beach Realty Co., explained the plans last September, the U.S. Army. Corps of Engineers told the developers to stop filling in 25 acres which the Corps contends are protected wetlands. Ciampitti argued that they didn't become wet until ditches were dug through a railroad bed west of the site in the early 1960s. Furthermore, he maintained, the disputed area — one-fourth of his project — is not shown on state wetlands maps but has been marked for development on township maps for 60 years. < He holds a state land conveyance from 1907, he has said, that permits him to do nearly anything he wants with the tract we^t of Pacific Avenue and south of the Wildwood CrestLower Township boundary line. THE DISPUTE, WHICH AFFh . TS single-family homes planned for the site, has been under litigation in federal court since last fall. . Meanwhile. Golden Homes president Bruce Conklin hit a related snag. After he built J8 townhouses on Pelican Bay. township planners decided to require state assurance that the blnlder didn't need a CAFRA (Coastal Area Facilities Review Act) permit to build 15 more. State environmental law requires CAFRA permits for developments of 25 or more units in coastal areas. Ciampitti noted last fall that Diamond Beach builders like Conklin will be constructing housing in clusters of 24 units or less so no CAFRA. permits would be required. Last December, township planners told Conklin they would approve His 15-unit project if they didn't receive assurance about the CAFRA permit from the

state within 60 days. Lacking it by February, the planners approved the project. Similar complications are what Ciampitti proposed to avoid during his presentation to Lower's councilmen last week. He's involved with local planners now on a question of whether some duplexes require site plan approval. The Planning Board isn't sure, he said. AFTER A QUICK REVIEW of the question, Township Solicitor Bruce Gorman said he thought there might be an error in the code dealing with the matter. It could be corrected with an ordinance amendment, he added. "I'd like to get the direction of the township (council) filtered on down to the Planning Board," Ciampitti said earlier. Township Manager James R. Stump called the Diamond Beach project "a first-class development" with "a fantastic tax base." Councilmen said they liked the looks of Ciampitti's master plan but Councilman Joseph Lonergan asked if the developer intends to build the emergency substation, depicted on that plan, to house Lower's police, firemen and rescue crews. Ciampitti replied that he - "would be willing to contribute" toward the substation. When Lonergan asked, "would you build it?," the developer said he's "not ruling out the possibility." On Jan. 1, Wildwood Crest's ambulance corps is scheduled to relinquish emergency coverage of Diamond beach to the Lower Township Rescue Squad. Its nearest ambulance is based in Town Bank, six linear miles from Diamond Beach. The resort is in Erma Volunteer Fire Co.'s district and 3Vz linear miles from the firehouse. Township police do not maintain any substations. They 're based on Bayshore Road, Villas. v

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