A Shore Spot: Long Beach Residents Angered Over Additional Construction

It has, ever since I can remember, been one of my favorite places for rest, relaxation and recreation. Add to that the intense ambiance of The City along with the “serenity” of suburbia and some very fond memories, not to mention a shared namesake with one of my favorite places in Cali, and Long Beach, remains one of our areas most appealing areas for beach lovers and active lifestylers of all ages.

But, along with it’s popularity comes its high price and now it seems local residents may have another price to pay for living along the boardwalk.

According to reports the inhabitants of a six story beachfront high-rise are challenging the construction of a another slightly taller building just across the street, now home, to literal quaint homes that do not obstruct their scenic view….the one they are paying premium prices for.

The residents of the beach-front building at 522 Shore Road, note that their dwellings, those facing away from the ocean but offering a view of Long Beach to the north and New York City to the northwest at night would be concealed by the new building now occupied by private homes.

Furthermore, residents complain that that inhabitants of the new building would only add to the increasing congestion, that is diminishing the appeal of Long Beach, and would add to the lack of available parking and overcrowding already prevalent on the communities nostalgic narrow, one-way street.

However, developers interested in building up Long Beach suggest that co-op residents have nothing to complain about. In fact, they suggest that it is in fact, their buildings (on the south side of the street) that spurred the “damage” by blocking the ocean view of longtime residents to the north over 40 years ago.

And, they add that parking problems could be prevented via developers offering additional parking spots to their buildings.

But, the new construction still has to be voted on, and the zoning variance still has to be granted.

Still, the developer has signed a $1 million to purchase the vacant lot.

He notes that while there was no parking requirement back in 1963 when 522 Shore Road was erected he intends to offer one parking space for one unit and two parking spaces for each of the other nine units, meeting the zoning code mandating 1,75 parking spaces for each new residential unit.