By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
“Jack Ancona, LLC, aka the Warrington Hotel ” intends to go ahead with plans to remodel this former rest home into a high-end boutique hotel overlooking Wesley Lake. Supposedly it will have 16 rooms. The owner of the building, which is next to the site of the former Park View Inn, has received site plan approval from the Township. At the last Committee meeting, the owner was granted approval to “build and locate an innkeeper’s suite in the basement.” Such a structure is prohibited by ordinance, but the Zoning Board of Adjustment has permitted this, and so has the Township. The Township has executed a Developers Agreement with “Jack Ancona LLC” to make sure that the work is done properly. But Developers Agreements are not executed until all other approvals have been recorded.
We will look into those approvals, including concerns about the 3 lots that are included in the Warrington’s plans. The Warrington used to be shown on the tax map as existing on one lot: Block 101, Lot 2.
Meanwhile the building is in poor condition. Sawbucks Construction Co. has been sending one or two workers into the building daily for the last 4-6 weeks, and the neighbors have noted daily hammering. No one seems to know what those workers are doing inside. They wonder if building permits were granted for this work. Such permits should be openly posted at the site.
The Neptune Township Police Dept has been “exceptional” according to a neighbor in responding quickly to calls to deal with incursions at the site. Graffiti has been cleared from the building, and, according to nearby residents, the contractor has taken down shrubbery on the lakeside, and that is supposed to be illegal in a Green Acres location, which Lake Avenue is said to be.
As usual, due to lack of transparency, the neighbors on Seaview Avenue are complaining that they do not have enough information regarding the future of the site. They worry that the hotel, which will not have on-site parking, will worsen an already difficult parking situation. Many people in that vicinity are year-round residents, and they already often have trouble with parking, 12 months of the year. One resident estimates that at least 10% of those who park there are headed to Asbury. They also are worried about the garbage disposal from the hotel. How will that be accomplished?
The owner has told some of them that all guests will park off-site somewhere and then be offered transportation back to the hotel. Has such a shuttle plan been approved? This sounds potentially like an innovative solution, but will it work and satisfy those high end customers, and where will they park those cars? And will those well-to-do guests return after experiencing the OG parking life?
Locals are also worried because the hotel front is on Lake Avenue, a walkway, and they were told that the hotel has been granted an access pathway between the buildings to reach the Lake side of the hotel from Seaview, but that no garbage, deliveries, or other non-personal items can be moved via that passageway—-it would be just for guests and their luggage. We have no details regarding these elements.
It is said that a room in that luxury hotel might cost up to $300.00 per night. Can someone want to stay there when there is inconvenient parking and when there is no alcohol inside? And what about parking for visitors that the guests attract? And how about the Asbury Hotel, a boutique hotel just a few blocks away in A. Park?
More details should be provided to the public. How will this hotel impact the quality of life for that community?
Finally, we have reported on speculation that the Township would like to turn that part of Lake Avenue into a road for cars. There is widespread anticipatory opposition to that idea. See our recent articles about whether Lake Avenue is a road or a street. If it is not, then no road could be built there. It would be illegal.
See our forthcoming piece about the 4 lot subdivision which is the site of the former Park View Inn on Seaview, next door to the Warrington. There are some related issues.
Here is a link to a related article dated March, 2015 on BF:
LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III from The Aviator
Blogfinger will have more information soon about whether the approval process for the Warrington plan was done properly. –PG