100-Unit Bay Avenue Housing Project Under State Review in Somers Point

Public comment period remains open on plan for 80 townhouses, 20 affordable apartments

SOMERS POINT, N.J. — A proposal that could bring 100 new housing units to Bay Avenue in Somers Point is undergoing state environmental review, adding another major project to a growing list of residential developments being considered in the city.

The proposal for 555 Bay Ave. calls for 80 market-rate townhouses and 20 affordable apartments, along with driveways, pedestrian walkways and outdoor amenities.

The site borders Harbor Lane and sits across from Yacht Avenue and the Harbour Cove condominium development.

The applicant, identified in state permit information as 555 Bay Avenue Townhomes, is seeking a coastal permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The state received the application June 1. A 30-day public comment period runs through Sept. 17, according to information accompanying the application.

The permit application does not constitute final approval, and the project could change as it moves through the state and local review processes.

Residents raise concerns

The proposal is already attracting attention from nearby residents.

According to public comments reported from the Aug. 27 City Council meeting, Bay Avenue resident Teresita Doebley raised concerns about the project's possible effects on traffic, parking, safety, noise, lighting and neighborhood character.

She urged officials to consider preserving the quieter, small-town atmosphere of Somers Point as development continues.

Another resident, Brandon Dolan, raised a somewhat different concern: the growth in second homes and what it means for Somers Point as a year-round community.

Dolan told council he would like to see more permanent families in the city and expressed concern about declining school enrollment.

The debate closely mirrors a discussion Councilman Sean McGuigan had this week on Off The Press with Scott Cronick on WOND.

McGuigan said Somers Point's demographics are changing.

“We're getting a lot of second-home buyers,” McGuigan said.

He also acknowledged that there are multiple housing developments being considered around the city.

“There's a bunch of different condominiums being considered,” McGuigan said. “But they're a long way from being approved.”

Development debate growing

Cronick asked McGuigan during the interview whether rapidly rising home values and new development were turning Somers Point into “the next Margate.”

McGuigan pushed back.

“We're the first Somers Point,” he said. “Let's put it that way. Somers Point is a unique community.”

He said the city's waterfront is one reason developers remain interested.

“We are one of the few communities that have bayfront,” McGuigan said. “We're taking advantage of that.”

The 555 Bay Avenue project would be substantial by Somers Point standards.

For comparison, another proposal recently presented for 19 MacArthur Boulevard calls for 70 condominiums above retail space. Together, the two proposals represent 170 potential new housing units, although neither should be considered a done deal.

Public can comment

The full 555 Bay Avenue application is available for public review at the Somers Point City Clerk's Office, according to published notice information.

Written comments may be submitted to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Land Resource Protection during the comment period.

The state's DEP Bulletin page also provides access to the department's current 2026 permit bulletins.

The public-comment deadline makes this proposal more than simply another development idea being discussed around Somers Point.

For residents who want their views considered as part of the state environmental review, Sept. 17 is the key date.