Businesses, Homeowners Question Zoning Off Fischer Boulevard

A marina street off Fischer Boulevard lined with residential houses is actually zoned as "highway business," making all the homes non-permitted uses, officials said.

Township Planner Jay Lynch spoke before the township council Tuesday about a possible ordinance that would change the designation of Pumpshire Road to residential. The ordinance was tabled after hearing from Lynch and several residents and business owners on the road.

The proposed ordinance addressed the rezoning act in the vicinity of Pumpshire Road, a dead-end street off of Fischer Boulevard. The area is currently a highway business zone and the ordinance would rezone the area to become residential.

According to the ordinance, this issue was brought to the Council by the owners of five homes that did "not want to be treated as pre-existing non-conforming uses" and that residents were having issues refinancing and selling their properties in the area. 

Lynch presented a map to describe the current zoning of the area and what the ordinance proposes. 

Deborah Mikel, owner of Silverbay North Marina, questioned the changes that her business faced and what the "conditional use" of the rezoning acts meant to her business. 

James Hannon, owner of marine construction company, Bird Construction, wants to buy property surrounding the marina and questioned how the rezoning ordinance would "hamper [his] ability to use the pieces of property for [his] marine construction business."

Councilman George Wittmann told business owners in the area that being grandfathered in for businesses would allow them to apply for a certificate of nonconformity. 

Councilwoman Maria Maruca shared similar concerns with Councilman Gregory McGuckin on the character of the neighborhood.

"Anymore stretch along [the area] would not be in the best interest, I feel, for the residents but if we could just carry a little longer for more information to make a solution for both sides, I would be more than okay with that," Maruca said.

The Council motioned to table the ordinance for a month and recommended that it take another look at the area and proposed rezoning act. Council President Maurice Hill says that the Council will send an enhanced notice to property owners.