By JF Grodeska
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS – In what can only be described as a marathon session, the borough planning board met May 4 at Borough Hall to approve several variances, including one for an expanded outdoor area for a restaurant and one for a porch on a private residence.
Owners of the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club, located above the Shore Casino in the Atlantic Highlands Harbor, requested a variance to add an outdoor deck onto the roof of Shore Casino overlooking the harbor. The site plan and drawings were the product of architect Christopher Stone, the immediate past commodore of the club.
Stone deftly fielded questions from both board members and residents for nearly three hours. Questions ranged from concerns about noise disturbing residents on the hillside overlooking the harbor, the new deck potentially blocking the view of the harbor and Sandy Hook Bay, the structural stability of the proposed deck due to fluid soil and drainage, the height of the flagpole and even the purpose of the deck.
Through it all, Stone remained professional and thorough in his explanations.
Regarding the noise concern, Stone explained that panels made from noise-reducing materials would be installed in such a way as to lessen the impact on the club’s neighbors. He used drone footage shot from the approximate height of the houses overlooking the harbor to show that the deck would not pose a threat to the homeowners’ view of the harbor and bay.
Stone went into great detail addressing concerns about the structural stability of the deck, which will actually be more like a bridge over the existing roof and anchored by pylons into the ground around the building. He explained that after getting the variances needed to potentially build the structure, extensive testing would be performed on the soil.
After two meetings, hours of testimony and a lengthy public comment period during which many of the early questions were rehashed and answers repeated, the planning board voted to approve the request for variances. As one board member pointed out, the proposal was one that is permitted and in an appropriate zone.
While this is a victory for the club, it is just the beginning as the owner embarks on the next steps: soil tests, engineering studies, impact statements and membership approval.
In attendance at the meeting were Brian Boms, Martin Hawley, Councilman Brian Dougherty, Joseph Cacamo, Thomas Josko, John McGoldrick, Katrina Majewski, Dave Krupinski, James Neff, Merissa Zuzulock, Chris Kurdes, Michael Berth and Michelle Walter.
The article originally appeared in the May 11 – 17, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
