Brick master plan earns coveted designation BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer BRICK TOWNSHIP - Members of the state Planning Commission have endorsed the township's revised master plan, making Brick one of only five towns in the state to be recognized. And that recognition will translate into more opportunities for grant money, council President Stephen C. Acropolis said. Acropolis and Mayor Daniel J. Kelly traveled to Trenton together last week to meet with representatives from the state Office of Smart Growth. The commission voted unanimously to endorse Brick's plan, he said. "We are happy," Acropolis said. "Towns that follow this plan will have the opportunity to get grant money that other towns may not, because they have not gotten their initial endorsement." The initial plan endorsement is the first step in the revitalization of areas in Brick that need it, he said. Since Brick is more than 97 percent built out, most of the development in the township will be redevelopment. Remaining vacant land is primarily off Route 88, Mantoloking Road, Route 70, the old Foodtown site and Traders Cove. The Township Council recently adopted four land-use ordinances crafted to reflect state Smart Growth principals. The focal point of the new plan is the Town Center designation, which borders Chambers Bridge Road, Route 70, portions of Brick Boulevard and Jack Martin Boulevard. The new plan also includes a "streetscape" and mixed-use overlay ordinances to encourage the development of a traditional downtown. That includes brick pavers, sidewalks, outdoor seating for restaurants, balconies, awnings, brick face and even clapboard facades to reflect the area's shore location. The mixed-use ordinance allows one site to have residential, commercial and office use all in the same lot. Acropolis said such much of the credit for the plan endorsement goes to township planners Michael Fowler and Tara Paxton, who redesigned the master plan. The state Planning Commissions Web site features a photo of Kelly, Fowler and Paxton happily posing with commission officials and accepting the designation. The plan endorsement will also make streamline the permitting process for development projects, Township Administrator Scott M. Pezarras said.