Developer proposes 48‑unit mixed‑use building on Seaside Heights Boulevard

Bamboo Holdings Urban Renewal LLC asked the Seaside Heights Planning Board on April 6 to approve preliminary and final site plans for a mixed‑use building at 203 Boulevard that would contain 48 condominium units, ground‑floor retail and resident amenities.

The board’s review focused on design and compliance with the borough’s Redevelopment Plan, public‑safety and infrastructure issues, and practical operations such as parking and trash collection. The application was scheduled for public hearing on May 4, 2026, after the applicant agreed to revise plans to address several planner and engineer comments.

Jason Hanrahan, the architect and owner, described the proposed building as a multi‑level “coastal modern” structure with about 48 condominium units: “There will be 48 condominium units in total,” he told the board. The unit mix on the plans includes 40 two‑bedroom units, six two‑bedroom units with lofts and two three‑bedroom units. The project shows a parking level with 72 spaces (including 8 electric‑vehicle spaces, 3 ADA spaces, 7 compact stalls and 14 temporary spaces) and bicycle storage for 24 bikes plus a proposed corner rack for visitors.

Redevelopment Planner Paul Grygiel flagged several points where the submitted plans did not fully comply with the Redevelopment Plan. He said the ground‑floor retail does not yet extend the required 20 feet from the Boulevard along Lincoln Avenue and noted that standalone units proposed on the building’s highest level do not conform to a Redevelopment Plan preference that sixth‑story space be limited to extensions of fifth‑story units. Grygiel added that the submitted elevations show approximately six‑foot setbacks from bordering streets where 10‑foot setbacks are required; the applicant agreed to revise the drawings to provide the larger setbacks.

Grygiel offered a broadly favorable view pending those revisions: “I feel that this plan, overall, complies with the spirit and intent of the Redevelopment Plan,” he said.

Board Engineer Michael Goldstein told the board the project will likely be a major stormwater development under new DEP REAL rules and that CAFRA (Coastal Area Facility Review Act) review will be required. Hanrahan said he believed the project had previously received CAFRA approval and agreed to confirm that with the civil engineer; Goldstein urged the applicant to secure or confirm all outside approvals promptly, including reviews by the Ocean County Planning Board, Ocean County Soil Conservation, the Ocean County Utility Authority (TWA approval) and the Seaside Heights Water & Sewer Department, because those agencies can impose conditions that would require plan revisions.

Board members pressed the applicant on operational details. Chairman Frank C. Gorman and member Chris Vaz raised concerns about trash logistics for 48 units, asking how 48 garbage and 48 recycling cans would be stored and staged for collection and calling curbside cans potentially “unsightly.” Hanrahan said he would explore interior storage, separate rooms for recycling and garbage, or moving to dumpsters; Goldstein recommended dumpsters but warned that curb and curbing design changes could be needed for pickup equipment.

Members also questioned whether the ground‑floor retail area — smaller than the resident gym — would be large enough to attract Boulevard businesses. Hanrahan said venting and parking constraints limit the expansion of retail into gym space but agreed to revisit the layout with his client.

The board directed the applicant to submit revised plans addressing retail frontage, sixth‑floor setbacks, balcony projections and screening/ventilation around the parking area before the public hearing on May 4.

What’s next: The Planning Board scheduled the Bamboo Holdings application for public hearing on May 4, 2026; the board’s final action will depend on revised plans and any conditions from outside agency reviews.