ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Atlantic City Zoning Board The Atlantic City Master Plan is a collaborative effort of many Walter Collette, Chairperson individuals. This Plan has been made possible in large part due to Willie B. Norman the active community involvement by residents, property owners and Louis “Champ” Hoffman businesses in the planning process. We would especially like to Kebria Gulam thank the following for their enthusiastic participation in the project. Derek Longcrier Annie Belle Davis City of Atlantic City Michael Diamond Mayor Scott Evans Ronald Jordan 1st Ward Councilperson G. Bruce Ward 2nd Ward Councilperson Marty Small 3rd Ward Councilperson Steven Moore City Department Heads and Other Officials 4th Ward Councilperson William Marsh William Crane, Director of Planning 5th Ward Councilperson Dennis Mason Regina Armstrong, Assistant Planning Director 6th Ward Councilperson Tim Mancuso Keith Mills, Supervising Planner Councilmen at Large Gene Robinson Jody Dispoto, Planning Office Supervisor John Schultz Sherrise K. Moten, Housing Development Analyst George Tibbett John C. Matthews, Esq., Solicitor William Rafferty, PE, City Engineer Police Chief John Mooney Atlantic City Planning Board Fire Official Chief James Foley Jacqueline Carole, Chairperson Carol Fredericks, Business Administrator Herbert Thomas, Vice-Chairperson Domenic Cappella, Assistant Business Administrator Nashir Uddin Sheikh Rosemary Adams, City Clerk Lorraine Grant-Outten Vanessa King, Chief of Staff Patricia Truitt Richard Norwood, Director of Public Works Sherry Elder Jack Potts, Director of Revenue & Finance Catherine Grady Novelette Hopkins, Tax Assessor Thomas Russo Atlantic City Board of Education Civil Solutions, Inc. Ra Shun Stewart, President Richard Rehmann, PE John Dollard, Vice President New Results Dolores Callaway Bill Clare, President Stephanie Davies-Khan Scott Evans Pamela Jones Other Contributors Sophia LaPorte Former Mayor Robert Levy Rochelle Salway Thomas Carver, Executive Director, CRDA Shay Steele Susan Ney Thompson, Assistant Director, CRDA Stephen Bonanni Donald Guardian, Executive Director, SID Daniel Campbell Seana Grady, Executive Director, MSAC Thomas Gabriel Joe Kelly, Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce John B. Comegno, Esq., Interim Solicitor Larry Seig, Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Association Ralph Triboletti, Atlantic City Special Improvement District Alex C. Marino, Carnegie Library Center, Stockton College Consultant Planning Team Robert C. Preston, CLA, PP, CPSI, Forrest Associates, Ltd. Karabashian Eddington Planning Group, LLC Michael Zumpino, President, Triad Associates Peter P. Karabashian, PP Mark Carrier, Atlantic County Board of Realtors Thomas E. Eddington, Jr., PP, AICP, CLA Tracy Fauntleroy, The Pier at Caesars Binoy G. Panicker, AICP Kim Butler, The Cordish Group, The Walk Kruti S. Bhatia Bobby Royal, Sr., President, ACCC Melissa Hauck-Baker Maureen Frank, Atlantic City Free Public Library Edward Garvey John F. Huber III, DiLorenzo Langi Real Estate, LLC Shropshire Associates, LLC Linda Tiso, Bank of America David R. Shropshire, PE, PP Integra Realty Resources As with any project of this magnitude, there may be individuals Anthony M. Graziano, MAI whose names were overlooked. We apologize for any oversights, MJB Consulting but please accept our gratitude for your contributions. Michael Berne CONTENTS 1 Goals & Objectives 2 Land Use Element 3 Housing Element 4 Circulation Element 5 Economic Development Element 6 Open Space & Recreation Element 7 Conservation Element 8 Historic Preservation Element 9 Community Facilities Element 10 Utilities Service Element 11 Recycling Element 12 Comparison to Adjacent Municipalities Element Community Participation Introduction, Goals and Objectives Introduction, Goals and Objectives Table of Contents A. Overview Of Atlantic City ................................................. 2 B. General Layout Of Atlantic City ....................................... 3 C. Atlantic City Master Plans ................................................ 4 D. What Is A Master Plan? ................................................... 4 E. What Is The Master Plan Process? .................................. 4 F. The City Of Atlantic City Vision ......................................... 5 G. Goals, Objectives, Assumptions, Policies and Standards 5 1 Land Use ..................................................................... 6 2 Housing ....................................................................... 7 3 Circulation ................................................................... 8 4 Economic Plan ............................................................ 9 5 Open Space & Recreation ........................................ 10 6 Conservation ............................................................. 11 7 Historic Preservation ................................................. 12 8 Community Facilities ................................................. 13 9 Utilities Service .......................................................... 14 10 Recycling .................................................................. 15 A T L A N T I C C I T Y M A S T E R P L A N 1 Introduction, Goals and Objectives Introduction, Goals and Objectives Many have argued that it only served to magnify those problems, as evidenced in the stark contrast between the tourism-intensive areas and the adjacent impoverished working-class neighborhoods. “Those who think a thing cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it” - Old Chinese proverb The promised economic benefits of gaming to the City, although slow to materialize, have now begun to bear fruit. The eleven (11) casinos that are now operating in Atlantic City achieve a higher A. OVERVIEW OF ATLANTIC CITY gaming “win” (and overall revenues) than all the casinos along the Las Vegas’ strip combined. Plans for a twelfth casino (speculated to Atlantic City, a resort town in South Jersey, was incoporated in 1854. be promoted by Morgan Stanley/Revel Entertainment) have been Premier oceanfront between marshlands and islands presented itself announced as well as a new thirteenth casino to replace the recently as prime real estate for developers. The development of the City demolished Sands Casino. The latter is being developed by The was made feasible by train service linking Philadelphia to Atlantic Pinnacle Group. There is discussion in the public media about City which transformed the town into a popular beach destination. MGM’s plans for a grand casino and hotel in the Marina District; After the initial golden age in the early 1900’s, like many older east Hilton’s major expansion; and a hotel/casino to be located near the coast cities after World War II, Atlantic City became plagued with former Atlantic City High School site. Most recently, existing casino poverty, crime, and disinvestment by the middle class in the mid- to properties such as Harrahs’, Borgata, and Trump Taj Mahal are in late-20th century. The reasons for the resort's decline ranged from the midst of major expansions including increased gaming space, the ubiquitous use of the automobile by many Americans after the additional hotel rooms, entertainment, and retail space. war to the increase in commercial flights that allowed people to travel to Florida or other four-season locales as quickly as they could drive With 40,000 plus year-round residents, the City is one of the larger to Atlantic City. Additionally, with more and more families moving urban areas in New Jersey. The City’s historic neighborhoods such into their own private houses, luxuries such as home air-conditioning as Bungalow Park, Chelsea, Chelsea Heights, Ducktown, the Inlet, and swimming pools diminished the necessity for people to flock to Venice Park, and Westside continue to flourish in varying degrees. the beach during the hot summer days. And ultimately, Atlantic City From 2005 to 2006, Atlantic City had the highest percentage lost its panache, its innovative genius that had propelled it to the increase (25.9%) in average home value in the United States while forefront of the nations beach resorts only a few decades prior. most of the country showed little or no home value appreciation during this same time period. This is significant, especially given the By the late 1960s, many of the City’s hotels, which were suffering fact that most of North Jersey is built-out and South Jersey is now from embarrassing vacancy rates, were either closed, converted to being labelled as the “new growth frontier,” with Atlantic City at the cheap apartments, or converted to nursing home facilities. Prior to center of the region. With this continued economic expansion, and during the advent of legalized gambling, many of these hotels Atlantic City is being marketed as “hot and exciting…and the cool were demolished. In an effort to revitalize the City, New Jersey place to be.” It is beginning to be recognized as a place with not only voters in 1976 approved casino gambling for Atlantic City; this came casino gaming, but also spas, world-class entertainment, nightlife, after a 1974 referendum on legalized gambling failed to pass. fine dining, beautiful ocean beaches, a world-famous Boardwalk, golf Resorts was the first legal casino in the eastern United States when amenities, amusements, fishing, water sports, and a variety of it opened in 1978. Other casinos were soon added along the shopping venues. The geography, economics, and timing are finally Boardwalk and later in the Marina District, for a total of eleven