The Role of the Doo Wop Preservation League in Planning & Redevelopment in the Wildwoods

The Ten Point Plan for Lodging
in the Wildwood Crest M-1 (hotel/motel/multi-family) zone

The following plan has been submitted to the Wildwood Crest planning board and outside planning consulting firm "Heyer, Greul & Associates" for incorporation into the new Wildwood Crest Master Plan including major revisions to the borough's M-1 zone.

The primary objective of this plan is to encourage the maintenance of a viable lodging industry in Wildwood Crest while preserving the mid-century/Doo Wop character of the historic motel district.

1. An increase in building heights to allow for added floors to accommodate new or larger motel suites, game rooms, coffee shops and other amenities expected by modern travelers so long as the building continues operating as a motel or hotel as defined in Addendum A. The increase will vary from one municipality to another depending on current heights but a minimum of two additional floors or twenty foot increase are an essential part of the plan.

The building will maintain the current footprint, setback and open design loved by residents and tourists alike to provide the view corridors between buildings that are unique to the Wildwoods and sadly missing in other resorts.

2. The historic one parking place per unit should be permitted for motel rooms up to 800 square feet.

3. Eight-foot wide parking spaces and tandem on-site parking to keep automobiles off public streets as was standard for half a century in the resort to keep automobiles off public streets.

4. Four foot setbacks in the rear of motels that maintain current footprints.

5. Elimination of any "step back" requirements for fronts, sides and rears of upper floors so long as the property maintains that footprint.

6. Permit additional amenities such as gift shops, coffee shops, game rooms and meeting rooms without requiring additional parking.

7. There should be a liberalization of zoning impacting on signage to encourage both attached and freestanding signs. In addition, larger and more active signs such as the recent Commerce Bank sign on Rio Grande Avenue with movement and flashing logs should be encouraged.

8. Mid-century architecture should be adopted under the supervision of a review board of lodging operators and owners established by the municipality.

9. There should be a stated and explicit policy for liberalized incentive zoning with allowances for variances to encourage creativity, such as permitted use of off-premise parking.

10. Establish a new "Mixed Resort Use" category that qualifies for all incentives provided for lodging properties in a motel district so long as renovations and/or expansion retains the pre-conversion room count of units operating as a motel or hotel. Hotel operation is defined in Addendum A. Mixed Resort Use permits combining larger hotel-like condominium units with the motel/hotel units for sale to finance expansion and renovation while still qualifying as a motel for purposes of zoning, increased heights and other motel/hotel incentives. Municipalities may elect to place deed restrictions or other contingencies to assure continued operation of the required number of motel/hotel units per the standards of Addendum A.

If the existing building cannot accommodate the expansion and added floors for mixed resort use, there should be an alternative of demolishing the existing building to reconstruct for mixed resort use utilizing the same footprint, setbacks and mid-century design so long as the replacement building provides at least the pre-demolition hotel or motel room count as defined in Addendum A.

Addendum A- What is a Motel?

To qualify for motel/hotel incentives and liberalized zoning, a building and its operation must meet all the following qualifications:

1. They shall offer hotel/motel services to the general public;
2. They rent only transient lodging in the form of motel and hotel rooms to the general public without leases for one or more days but not exceeding 120 days;
3. They shall maintain a front desk to serve guests and the public;
4. They shall provide maid service and other room amenities including lines and towers in a manner expected from the traveling public reserving hotel and motel rooms;
5. They shall employ a manger and/or desk staff meeting the requirements of state lodging laws and state swimming pool regulations to provide those services expected at hotels and motels;
6. They shall advertise in appropriate media promoting the property to the general public as a motel or hotel offering motel-like services, and;
7. They shall pay sales and use tax, tourism tax, and tourism fees on revenue generated from the above sales and services.

Buildings that do not operate as a motel or hotel will not be eligible for hotel/motel incentives.