Wildwood Considers Disbanding Architectural Review Board
Date Posted: August 25, 2026
Posted In: News,
From West Newsmagazine: After years of debate, the city of Wildwood is making moves to dissolve the Architectural Review Board (ARB).
The ARB was formed in 1997 as part of the development of the Town Center Plan.
It was designed to have five voting members, with three alternates and two liaisons – a City Council member and a Planning & Zoning (P&Z) commissioner. Two of the voting members were to be licensed architects.
The ARB reviews design, function and aesthetic issues for buildings and structures to be constructed in the city, with the exception of single-family dwellings outside the Town Center area.
At one point, the board had five licensed architects, but some board members had served terms more than 10 years, given the lack of replacement, said Joe Vujnich, director of planning & parks.
The city’s charter was amended by voters in 2018 to institute term limits for volunteers serving on any board, commission or committee of the city.
As a result, the mayor’s efforts to fill vacancies for licensing purposes has been a struggle and vacancies have been persistent, Vujnich said.
At the April 2024 P&Z meeting, Vujnich presented options that the city could take regarding the ARB. Out of the presented options, the recommendation made was to retain the board and reduce its size, having P&Z review recommendations of the board.