Grand ‘Coastal Victorian’ Townhouse Development Floated in Seaside Heights

The proposed ‘Seaside Manor’ complex in Seaside Heights. (Planning Document)

Seaside Heights may soon have its own dash of Victorian style, with officials expected to consider a 16-unit townhome development on Ocean Terrace that will be built in a style reminiscent of Cape May and similar historic resort towns. It would replace what is now used as a dirt and gravel parking lot.

The complex was pitched at a workshop meeting of the borough’s planning board Monday night, a informal meeting where prospective developers can engage with board members on future projects. It is likely the development, which would be known as “Seaside Manor,” will get a formal board hearing later this month. It would be located along the full length of Ocean Terrace between Hamilton and Franklin avenues, adjacent to the grand hotel and ballroom that has also been approved for construction.

“I would call it a coastal Victorian style,” said architect Jason Hanrahan. “It’s very specific to that era of coastal development.”

---

Get Daily Island News Updates Your email address:* Please enter all required fields Correct invalid entries

The architecture of the project is unique for Seaside Heights, blending the signature Victorian styling with modern approaches to the use of space. All of the units would have three bedrooms and would measure between 2,000 to 2,300 square feet in area. The units would run east-to-west, meaning on the second residential floor, each will have views of both the Atlantic Ocean as well as Barnegat Bay.

“Design-wise, it allows us to have both sunrise and sunset views, which creates a lot of interest in the units themselves,” said Hanrahan. “They all have a master suite with a sitting area and a great room. All of the units have private access to a rooftop terrace.”

The proposed ‘Seaside Manor’ complex in Seaside Heights. (Planning Document)

The proposed ‘Seaside Manor’ complex in Seaside Heights. (Planning Document)

Some units would also have an internal rooftop area with eastern-facing balconies. A central elevator would bring residents to a corridor on the first residential floor where each could be accessed, with the second floor hosting the full east-to-west run.

“We created a rooftop that allows us to set the building back as we get higher,” Hanrahan explained.

Though relatively minimal, board members did pause to discuss what would be a required height variance for the structure. The maximum allowed height in the zone is 41-feet, while the proposed building would stand 49-feet tall. But the extra eight feet exists largely because a portion of the rooftop deck is enclosed; a facade or less-than-full enclosure would likely bring the building within the limits of the ordinance. Board members all acknowledged the impressive nature of the building’s design, and signaled reticence to modifying it, but asked Hanrahan and the property owners to consider some type of alternative to the full enclosure since, one board member said, residents have occasionally complained about the heights of some of the borough’s newly constructed buildings.

“There will be a minimal visual impact on the boardwalk, but from Ocean Terrace, it would be difficult to see that high,” Hanrahan said, explaining that the roof design is one of the central features that brings together the overall appearance of the structure.

The building, as envisioned, would also include a small 1,200 square foot space for a small business along Ocean Terrace, which attorney Brian Shemesh, representing the property owner, described as “pedestrian walkable” retail – likely a small coffee or bagel shop.

The complex would also include 29 parking spaces, and would require one on-street space on Franklin Avenue to be sacrificed for a driveway. No parking would be given up on Hamilton Avenue or Ocean Terrace.

A formal hearing is expected either in late June or later this summer, with Shemesh telling board members he will confer with his client – the estate of the property’s longtime owner – on the potential height variance.

“Given the character of what’s going next to it, we believe this is relatively modest,” he said, referencing the 102-room hotel. “We understand there is a deviation, but we’re not trying to jam as many units as possible into a small space.”

That was echoed by Hanrahan, who has been the architect of many new properties in town.

“We want it to be consistent with the other architecture in the area and we don’t want to overstep our bounds,” he said. “But we do want to create the architecture that allows us to have that Victorian element. It’s going to be something very special.”