Government

Seaside Heights Planning Board Approves New Townhomes

by
Daniel Nee
May 29, 2025

The proposed property at 229 Franklin Avenue, Seaside Heights, N.J. (Photo: Shorebeat)

The Seaside Heights planning board this week approved the construction of three townhomes that will replace an oddly-developed property consisting of a single-family home and a multifamily apartment building or motel that fell into disrepair.

The board unanimously approved an application by the redeveloper of the property at 229 Franklin Avenue to build the three townhomes, bringing to a close several years of legal wrangling that eventually saw the borough tap into a state demolition fund to purchase and demolish the blighted structures.

229 Franklin Avenue, Seaside Heights, N.J., March 2023 (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The building will consist of two townhomes on the eastern and western ends of the property with three bedrooms each, and one unit in the middle with two bedrooms, said attorney Dante Alfieri, representing the developer. Each unit will include two parking stalls under the first floor of the elevated building, with one each in a driveway. One on-street parking space will be sacrificed for the project.

The project fully conformed with the redevelopment plan adopted by the borough council, except for a request by the developer to have a 9-foot setback in the rear instead of 15-feet. The deviation was required because of the size of the 50-by-100 foot lot.

“Because the property is so narrow, and trying to get three units on the property, we had to design something with a little more depth to it,” said Alfieri.

229 Franklin Avenue, Seaside Heights, N.J., March 2023 (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Demolition of the property at 229 Franklin Avenue, Seaside Heights, Dec. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

Before construction can begin, approval from the county soil conservation district is required, as well as the formal appointment of the developer as the new property owner, which is expected to occur at the next meeting of the borough council.

“My understanding is that we’re just waiting for the project schedule,” said Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz, who also sits on the planning board. “We have a meeting on June 4, so we can get the council to approve everything next week.”