By Christopher Sheldon
Long Branch officials are now looking at changing the zoning in West End to allow new mixed use developments to be built.
After a fire destroyed a large portion of the block on Brighton Avenue in 2012, the current zoning of the area did not allow what was once there, apartments on top of businesses, to be rebuilt.
The Long Branch Council and Planning Board will likely be looking at a proposed ordinance that would change the zoning in the area to mixed use in the future.
"We liked the mixed use, it works down there," Mayor Adam Schneider said. "West End is a valuable and vibrant part of the community, it just needs to be nudged in the right direction."
Schneider said the city did not want to make any changes while Chabad of the Shore was presenting an application to build a synagogue in West End. Chabad was denied a use variance to build at the site of the old West End movie theater earlier this year.
Business owners who lost their stores to the fire have stated in the past that they would come back to West End if they were given the chance.
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