By SUZANNE MARINO
Staff Writer
MARGATE – The Margate City Commissioners will hold a second hearing 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7 on ongoing open-space acquisition. The effort is to create a passive recreation area on property contiguous with Fire Station 2 on Brunswick Drive off Freemont Avenue.
Scheduled for a second reading and adoption is an ordinance authorizing the city to buy the properties for which they have secured agreements of sale and to accept those that have been donated.
Some of the lots, which are all vacant, were donated to the city by their owners, while others had to be purchased. The commissioners made an effort to acquire as many of the lots as they could though personal donation from residents by making appeals to nearby property owners.
The balance of this first effort, along with the costs of the survey, title search and engineering, are being covered by a $425,000 grant from the Atlantic County Board of Chosen Freeholders. City engineer Edward Wahlberg explained that Margate is using the money to purchase the properties that were not donated to the city.
City solicitor Mary Siracusa said much of the area the city is looking to acquire is wetlands.
“All of these properties are adjacent or nearby each other and in the proximity to Fire Station No. 2,” she said.
Over the years officials have floated several ideas about what might be done with the property near the fire station, including creating a skate park or a dog park.
But in the end the commissioners said that residents have made their wishes clear that they do not want to see any development in that area. So officials are simply proposing to leave it as a passive recreational area.
City officials said they will be applying next year for additional open-space money from the county to purchase other lots. TOP
