By Chris Franklin | For NJ.com

Ever since South Atlantic City became Margate, Lucy — the roadside pachyderm attraction — has been associated with the area. Visitors have been curious about the mammoth monument, and traveled many miles to see it. Needless to say, when residents heard of rumors Lucy the Elephant was moving from Margate, there was a lot of concern, shock, and anger. However, there is no need to fear, because the rumors of Lucy moving are not true. The elephant is not going anywhere.

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The view of Margate's beach from on top of Lucy.

The Margate City Commission had planned to hold a public meeting and possibly vote on a measure that could bring hotels to the largely-residential shore town.

An ordinance up for consideration would amend the city's zoning laws to create a "Resort Hotel Overlay District" over areas currently zoned as Multi-Family Residential and Commercial Business districts. The nine blocks of land is located along Atlantic Avenue, property that is very close to the beach.

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Lucy the Elephant currently sits on one of the blocks in the proposed hotel overlay zone. The city says the ordinance has been indefinitely tabled and will be sent back to the Margate Planning Board to be reviewed again.

In a statement released by the city commissioners, the three-member panel said the resort hotel overlay zone was one of the recommendations made as part of an update in the city's master plan but the elected officials felt there was a lot of confusion and misinformation currently circulating about the overlay zone.

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"We want the public to have a better understanding of the Master Plan process, and ample opportunities for additional public comment before anything further is considered by the Commissioners," Margate Mayor Michael Becker. "The Planning Board is the appropriate venue for this discussion."

With the monument's location along the beach, the city foresaw there would possibly be overtures from developers to utilize the land where the monument stands, which is owned by the city. In the 2016 Comprehensive Master Plan Update, a recommendation was made about the situation the city could face in the future, balancing history with development.

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Lucy has had some prominent designations bestowed upon her. The monument was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976, the highest honor the United States government can put on a building. Helfant also said the TV show Weird USA designated the elephant as the oldest roadside attraction in the United States.

Lucy the Elephant education director Jeremy Bingamon researched the impact the monument had on the railroads in the area. Bingamon found out Lucy was the catalyst that encouraged the Camden-Atlantic Railroad to extend the tracks from Atlantic City all the way to down beach in preparation for Lucy’s arrival in 1881. A couple of years later, they extended the route all the way down to Longport.

“It was because of Lucy and the notoriety she was getting that the Camden-Atlantic Railroad actually did that and brought the train down to South Atlantic City which is now Margate,” Helfant said.

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When she was erected in 1881, the exhibit was initially called “Elephant Bizarre” after Lafferty developed and had the elephant build. Besides being a summer home and real estate office, there was a tavern inside the elephant for one season. Helfant said the tavern did not last long because it was before electricity had been introduced into the elephant, and it was lit with kerosene lanterns.

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"For Lucy in particular but also for all elements of the City's history, one of the keys to preserving history and historical sites is finding ways to make them attractive and relevant to future generations," it read in the update. "Preservation of history relies on a connection to and nostalgia for that history to value and pursue its preservation. Without continued interest and investment from future generations, historical objects will eventually succumb to time and pressure for new development. This is especially true for the beachfront property that Lucy currently inhabits."

According to the Save Lucy Committee Executive Director and CEO Richard Helfant, the current lease the organization has with the city of Margate ends Dec. 31, 2019. Helfant says the committee has had discussions for the past six years with the shore town for a long-term lease renewal, but a deal has not been finalized. The executive director and CEO says a meeting is planned in the near future to hopefully finalize these negotiations and insure Lucy has a home for many generations yet to come.

“Lucy is not going anywhere,” Helfant said. “Lucy is Margate and Lucy is here to stay. This is her home. This is where she belongs and this where she is going to be.

The executive director and CEO says the public outcry to the rumors of her moving has been strong.

“The city doesn’t want Lucy to go anywhere and the Board of Commissioners doesn’t want Lucy to go anywhere.”

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Lori M. Nichols | For NJ.com

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MORE ON LUCY

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Let Margate's famed Lucy the Elephant deteriorate? Tusk, tusk say dedicated volunteers

National landmark Lucy the Elephant runs for president

Lucy the Elephant won't be a poster-child for circus abuse, group tells PETA



Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips