A 24-unit townhome community proposed in Seaside Heights by builder K. Hovnanian. View from the corner of Lincoln Avenue and the Boulevard. (Courtesy: Mike Loundy)
An auspicious plan by national developer K. Hovnanian to build a townhome community in Seaside Heights – among the largest investments in borough redevelopment thus far – took a step toward fruition this week as the borough’s planning board heard many of the final details which will soon be formally presented for approval.
At a workshop meeting this week, where officials engage with developers and their professionals to work out details before a formal hearing, it was revealed that the 24-unit townhome property will consist of three new buildings that will replace the Offshore Motel, a long-troubled property that was demolished in March. For the first time, representatives from the company shared details behind the sparkling renderings that have been previously been shared to show off the complex’s aesthetics. The preliminary name chosen for the development is “The Views at Seaside Heights.”
“There will be three new buildings on this property which was previously occupied by the Offshore Motel,” said Scott Turner, the engineer on the project. “There will be one 10-unit building up against Lincoln Avenue and then two seven-unit buildings – one up against Dupont and one in the center of the property.”
A 24-unit townhome community proposed in Seaside Heights by builder K. Hovnanian. View from the Boulevard. (Courtesy: Mike Loundy)
Entrance and egress will be from the Boulevard, which will utilize porous pavement to handle stormwater runoff and filter it before it returns to the ground. The complex will also greatly improve its outer aesthetics, with Hovnanian planning to plant 48 new trees, 130 shrubs, and “hundreds” of ground-cover plantings, Turner said. The company will also improve the portion of the property that publicly fronts the Boulevard business district.
“We’re providing as many street trees as we can along the Boulevard right-of-way,” he said.
All of the units will be three-bedrooms, and each will have a two-car garage. The garages will be oversized, with plans for residents to keep their trash and recycling receptacles inside and wheel them out on collection day. This prevents a dumpster from having to be placed in the center of the development.
“The goal is to have everyone have their refuse and recycling containers installed within the garage,” said Turner. “The garage is oversized and has adequate space provided. Residents will take their cans on trash day either pull them to the Boulevard, while the other two buildings, the residents can pull their cans directly out.”
The buildings will all have dedicated paths to the street, though planners did raise the issue of whether 24 trash cans – albeit divided between three streets – could prove to be an issue. It is likely that will be debated at the formal hearing, once it is scheduled.
Though each unit will be deeded to its owner, a homeowners’ association will be formed to take care of the landscaping, community property and to enforce the bylaws of the complex – including keeping trash receptacles where they should be, said Carl Erler, an attorney with Hovnanian.
“There will be a budget, an attorney for the community, an accountant for the community, and it is going to be professionally managed by a management company,” Erler said.
A 24-unit townhome community proposed in Seaside Heights by builder K. Hovnanian. View from Lincoln Avenue. (Courtesy: Mike Loundy)
The property is governed by a combination of the borough’s zoning ordinance, plus the specifications outlined in a formally-declared redevelopment plan adopted by the borough council.
“The property, we believe, is fully compliant with the redevelopment plan,” said Turner, adding that representatives from Hovnanian have already met with the Ocean County Planning Board, Ocean County Soil Conservation District as well as the U.S. Postal Service to map out addresses for each unit and optimal locations for a cluster of mailboxes. “We did have a pre-application meeting with the county, and we believe we comply with all of their standards.”
The current redevelopment plan calls for Hovnanian to take ownership of four lots – 106 Boulevard, 120 Boulevard and 55 Lincoln Avenue, which will be subsumed into 100 Boulevard. After approval, the property will be subdivided into 28 parcels.
Offshore Motel, Seaside Heights, N.J., Sept. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)
The demolition of the former Offshore Motel, March 2024. (Photo: Mike Loundy)
Offshore Motel, Seaside Heights. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
The next step for the project is a formal hearing before the board, which is likely to occur in the coming months once permitting is completed and professionals from the borough as well as Hovnanian finalize details on utilities and other matters prior to a vote on approval.
The Offshore Motel was, notably, the 20th motel to be demolished in Seaside Heights. The long-troubled property was first subject to having its license to operate revoked in 2021 following the murder of a woman by an acquaintance who has since been sentenced to 35 years in state prison. The motel had also been in the news after a man was hospitalized after jumping from a window there, and had drawn countless nuisance complaints over the years.
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