WILDWOOD CREST – A reader had the following question and complaint and voiced them in Spout Off:
“Is the Crest going to enforce the construction rules this summer or are they letting builders build all summer again? It’s outrageous to listen to the saws and compressors running all day long while trying to enjoy our summer home. Not to mention the trucks parked all over in front of taxpayers’ houses. No police, no inspectors around to stop it.”
The reader’s question was put to Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera, who said, “Construction is permitted.”
Cabrera said demolition and pile driving are restricted during the summer; however, he said normal construction, including roofing, siding work and landscaping, is permitted.
The municipal code says that demolition, pile driving and house lifting are prohibited May 15 to Sept. 15, except in the case of an emergency, which realistically applies only to demolition.
The mayor said there might be trucks, even dump trucks, delivering top soil or sod, but he did not think they would be parking overnight. “They are street-legal vehicles allowed to be on the street,” he said.
Cabrera said any dumpster parked on the street would require a permit. He said although contractors might try to conform to borough regulations, he understands that there might be problems from time to time. In that case, he said, property owners should reach out to the borough.
“I don’t think there is any construction site that is 100%, but the borough is always willing to help,” he said.
Cabrera added that saws can be noisy, but some people would consider lawnmowers noisy as well. He said if the noise from a saw is a possible violation of the noise ordinance, occurring between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m., then the police would be happy to address it. He said homeowners make a significant investment in their properties and want to keep them up or upgrade them, which might require making some noise.
The mayor said the borough has received complaints regarding the borough starting beach raking too early, with people complaining about hearing vehicles in the Public Works Department yard, specifically the beep-beep-beep as the tractors back up. He said the Public Works garage has been there since the early 1900s, so if people buy a home nearby they should expect some noise.
By comparison, neither North Wildwood, West Wildwood nor Wildwood prohibit construction or demolition during the summer months, but anyone doing either must abide by the municipal noise ordinance.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.