Ex-Mayor on Mini-Golf

[VentnorMod]

From Margate group:

Good morning.
We have attached a well written piece that one of our supporters has written and hopefully will be published in one of our local papers.

We want to thank all of you who have responded to our e mails and have made calls and written letters.

We know your hard work will pay off with all of us stopping this miniature golf project and smiling as we celebrate.

We have had a few people complain that we have sent too many e mails. To those who feel that way we are sorry. We are just trying to keep you informed and give those who choose to take action the information needed to do so.

We are hoping to share good news with you soon to show that all of your hard work has paid off.

For now we must keep up the pressure with your letters and phone calls. We are prepared to keep up this legal battle for as long as it takes to keep the charm and integrity if our Margate in place. We are not Ocean city or Wildwood.

There is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Our Central Business District,where this miniature golf course may be built, has a future problem that we as a concerned community must address.

The current ordinance ALLOWS for amusement type businesses to be built and opened in our Central Business district community. In order to stop this and any future type of amusement business from opening in the future ,we must have our planning board change the current ordinance. Our understanding is that it must be brought up at a planning board meeting by a member of the planning board, vote on it. If passed they must then pass it to the commissioners for approval and adoption.

I am sure we all agree that there is a place for amusement type businesses. Our central business district is not the place. We already suffer from traffic congestion and no parking. Our businesses that we frequent will suffer and we will lose these businesses and their small town charm. People need places to park. if we open the gates to this and other amusement type businesses those current valuable parking places will disappear and so will our stores and our Margate..

Think about it.

Dr Richard Lapat
Ms Patti Chapnick
Mr Steve Dobbins
Mr Jay I Weintraub

Statement from former Margate Mayor

Sent: 2/26/2010 5:51:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Mini Golf

Margate’s prior administrations shared a common vision of both business districts as classy centers of commerce. It was intended that the charming pavers and black lampposts with hanging flowerpots would be extended from Frontenac to Douglas and from Adams to Monroe Ave via a series of annual upgrades, resulting in a uniformly pleasant ambiance; uniquely identifiable among shore communities.

Mini golf proponents voice concern over an underutilized commercial property and the need for additional family activities. They cite local businesses’ desire for additional foot traffic. While valid, these points don’t justify an apparently questionable proposition. They also suggest that bicyclists will alleviate car congestion, which seemingly mutes the argument for additional foot traffic, other than to eateries.

Area residents fear the impact on quality of life and/or property value, however, they know they purchased in a commercial area. Their concerns regarding parking seem valid and mandating aesthetic requirements, even if legal, will likely result in a series of complaints and fines.

Margate should have miniature golf and should ask the Save Lucy Committee to reconsider a nine-hole course underneath Lucy which will provide family entertainment and potential revenue for our favorite pachyderm.

The City has labored to develop a unique style, which the proposed structure in the middle of its upscale business district will alter. It’s disappointing to watch commercial property remain under-utilized; however, is it really possible to build a classy mini golf course?

Significant potential to make a disappointing situation worse exists, as there is no guarantee of what the operator will do if it fails or what remedy exists if its successful to the detriment of other local businesses. Margate residents should contact the Mayor, Commissioners and Planning Board members and tell them to avoid this project.

Vaughan M. Reale
Margate NJ 08402