The Margate Municipal Building is located at 9001 Winchester Ave.

By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY

MARGATE – At its first meeting of the New Year, the Board of Commissioners agreed to hold a discussion and vote on the proposed road diet on Atlantic Avenue at their next meeting 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21.

Mayor Michael Becker proposed putting the issue on the Jan. 21 meeting agenda, and Commissioners John Amodeo and Maury Blumberg agreed to move toward a vote.

Blumberg requested a report be presented on the feedback received from residents. Police Chief Matthew Hankinson and engineer Ed Dennis of Remington & Vernick will provide a report at the meeting indicating the consensus of constituents.

Dennis presided over two well attended public meetings held on the Zoom platform in December. More than 100 people attended the first meeting and more than 75 attended the second meeting. Members of the public provided their thoughts about changing the roadway’s current four lane configuration to two lanes with a center turn lane and a widened bicycle lane. Dennis said the “road diet” concept is being implemented in municipalities across the country as a way to make roadways safer not only for pedestrians and bicyclists, but also for motorists.

Information about the proposed restriping plan are available on the city’s website at https://www.margate-nj.com/city-engineer

Audio recordings of the two Zoom meetings are available at https://www.margate-nj.com/home/news/atlantic-avenue-road-diet-virtual-meetings

In other business, the board approved an ordinance requiring electronic submissions for all development applications, including major and minor site plans, subdivisions and any application that requires NJDEP Land Use approval.

Administrator Richard Deaney also reported that the Margate Municipal Building at 9001 Winchester Ave. would resume full-time service with all employees present on Monday, Jan. 11.

The building was closed to visitors in mid-December and employee schedules modified over the holidays to halt the spread of COVID-19 in the building.

He said there are no employees currently out with COVID-19.

“While there may be quarantine people, there is no one active at this time with COVID,” he said.

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Margate hears from residents about planned ‘road diet’ on Atlantic Avenue

Categories: Margate

Nanette LoBiondo Galloway

Award winning journalist covering news, events and people of Atlantic County for more than 20 years.