Master Plan Reexamination Report April 2016 Prepared For City of Atlantic City 1301 Bacharach Boulevard Atlantic City, NJ 08041 Prepared By Maser Consulting P.A. Perryville III Corporate Park 53 Frontage Road, Suite 120 PO Box 4017 Clinton, NJ 08809 908-238.0900 __________________________________ David Roberts, AICP/PP, LLA, and Atlantic City Planning and Development Department Elizabeth A. Terenik, PP, AICP, Director MC Project No. 14001058G City of Atlantic City Planning Board Herbert Ushewokunze VII, Chairperson Judah Dorrington, Vice Chairperson Mayor Don Guardian Kaleem Shabazz, Councilmember Mohammad Rasheed Chief Henry White Dennis Konzelman Steven L. Young Mea Solomon Master Plan Committee: Herbert Ushewokunzee Steve Young Judah Dorrington Dennis Konzelman This document was funded by the Post Sandy Planning Grant funds. City of Atlantic City Master Plan Reexamination Report April 2016 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Atlantic City Physical Layout ..................................................................................................... 2 Atlantic City Economic Background .......................................................................................... 2 Demographic Profile of Atlantic City ......................................................................................... 4 Total Population .......................................................................................................................... 4 Population Density ...................................................................................................................... 5 Household and Family Size ........................................................................................................ 6 Racial Composition ..................................................................................................................... 8 Income....................................................................................................................................... 10 Age of Housing Stock ............................................................................................................... 10 Educational Attainment ............................................................................................................ 11 Summary of Demographic Observations .................................................................................. 13 Citywide Cohort Analysis ......................................................................................................... 15 Economic Profile of Atlantic City ............................................................................................ 16 Employment .......................................................................................................................... 16 ............................................................................................................................................... 20 ............................................................................................................................................... 20 Real Estate Market ................................................................................................................ 21 ................................................................................................................................................... 23 Land Use Profile of Atlantic City ............................................................................................. 23 Reexamination of the 2008 Master Plan ................................................................................... 25 CRDA Tourism District ......................................................................................................... 29 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats ................................................................ 29 Summary of Findings ............................................................................................................ 31 Goals, Objectives and Recommendations of the 2016 Re-Examination .................................. 32 Land Use .............................................................................................................................. 32 Housing ............................................................................................................................... 33 Economic Plan .................................................................................................................... 35 Circulation ........................................................................................................................... 37 Open Space and Recreation .............................................................................................. 38 Conservation ....................................................................................................................... 39 Historic Preservation ......................................................................................................... 39 Community Facilities ........................................................................................................ 40 Utilities Services ................................................................................................................. 41 Recycling ............................................................................................................................. 41 Resiliency Plan Element ........................................................................................................ 42 Resiliency Planning ................................................................................................................ 42 Design Standards Recommendations ........................................................................................ 42 Sea Level Rise and the Future of Infrastructure ................................................................ 44 Green Infrastructure Elements: ............................................................................................ 48 Design Standards ...................................................................................................................... 48 Design Criteria and Applications .......................................................................................... 49 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 50 Resiliency as an Economic Development Strategy ........................................................... 51 Consistency with Other Plans .............................................................................................. 53 Introduction Per New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law, N.J.S. 40:55 D-1, et seq., a municipality’s Master Plan must be substantially consistent with zoning laws, redevelopment plans and review of development applications, thereby providing the basis of land use decisions. Master plans are required to be updated at least every ten (10) years, however, a master plan may be updated more often based on changes in the assumptions, policies, and objectives forming the basis for the master plan as last revised. Atlantic City’s 2008 Master Plan assumed an expansion of gaming and the associated impacts such as jobs, new housing, and casino construction beyond just the Revel. Property values were also significantly different in 2008 compared to 2016. Additionally, the 2008 Master Plan did not contemplate both the economic and physical impact from natural disasters such as Sandy. The focus of this reexamination report is economic diversity, housing, and resilience to storms and flooding. This reexamination of the Atlantic City Master Plan conforms to the requirements of the Municipal Land Use Law and addresses the requirements of N.J.S. 40:55D-89 by including the following: a. The major problems and objectives relating to land development in the municipality at the time of the adoption of the last reexamination report. b. The extent to which such problems and objectives have been reduced or have increased subsequent to such date. c. The extent to which there have been significant changes in the assumptions, policies, and objectives forming the basis for such plan or regulations as last revised, with particular regard to the density and distribution of population and land uses, housing conditions, circulation, conservation of natural resources, energy conservation, collection, disposition and recycling of designated recyclable materials, and changes in State, county and municipal policies and objectives. d. The specific changes recommended for the master plan or development regulations, if any, including underlying objectives, policies and standards, or whether a new plan or regulations should be prepared. e. The recommendations of the planning board concerning the incorporation of redevelopment plans adopted pursuant to the “Local Redevelopment and Housing Law,” P.L. 1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-1,et al.) into the land use plan element of the municipal master plan, and recommended changes, if any, in the local development regulations necessary to effectuate the redevelopment plans of the municipality. This reexamination report serves as a reexamination of the Atlantic City Master Plan dated September 2008. 1 | P a g e Before embarking on the statutorily required elements of the Master