Cape May County needs to develop incentives for new industry, increase public transportation options and come up with more affordable housing, according to a new report.
The report, from the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, made policy suggestions for the economic and workforce development for the seven counties in South Jersey and addressed each county specifically.
It called the region “deeply misunderstood by statewide policymakers.” The timing of the report’s release was meant to coincide with the start of the 221st legislative session in Trenton.
Cape May stands out in the report as the least demographically diverse of the southern counties. The report lists the county as 86% white.
The county also has the highest median age in the state at 51.6 years, according to censusreporter.org.
The chamber’s analysis tells a tale that is already well known. Cape May is heavily dependent on “seasonal tourism/hospitality.” The other two of the top three industries identified in the report are health care and fishing and farming.
The county makes small use of public transportation and has only one institution of higher education, a branch campus of Atlantic Cape Community College, the report says.
Economic Development
In addressing economic growth and workforce development in Cape May, the report identifies four possible areas of growth.
The most prominent of those areas is the opportunity presented by unmanned aircraft and drones, given the county airport’s designation as one of the Federal Aviation Administration’s unmanned aircraft test sites, the report says.
Another potential growth area is tied to tourism: The continued expansion of wineries and breweries. This is seen as a way to lengthen the tourist season and provide more year-round jobs.
The report’s list of growth opportunities for the county also calls for economic incentive programs aimed at attracting companies that can grow the labor pool outside the tourism industry.
Lastly, the report urges that the county increase its number of “skilled workers” and “cross-certification for skilled labor” with neighboring counties as a way to improve employment opportunities.
Hurdles
The report points to several hurdles to economic development in the county, hurdles it says the report was written to place before state policymakers.
Among them is the lack of year-round jobs, the lack of public transit, significant environmental restrictions, limited broadband access and the incomplete Route 55.
The hurdles add up, the report says, to limits on development and redevelopment opportunities, as well as to barriers to diversification of the economy.
Policy Suggestions
The Cape May portion of the report ends with three policy suggestions.
- Incentives for new industries: Working with the New Jersey Legislature and NJEDA to identify incentive programs that can help diversify the county’s economy with year-round jobs, specifically in potential growth industries including aviation research and agritourism.
- Transportation: Increase public transportation options to assist county residents, grow tourism opportunities, and relieve traffic congestion in the summer months. Revisit the environmental concerns around the extension of New Jersey state highway Route 55, which was in the original design plans from the early 1960s but canceled in 1975.
- Affordable housing: Cape May County has seen the largest increase in housing prices in the state, as well as a large increase in the homeless population. Affordable housing options are needed to continue to combat homelessness and keep current residents in-county to grow the economy and fuel the local workforce.
The report argues overall that the South Jersey region has a set of unique policy needs that are not well served by holistic legislation intended to have impact across the entire state.
Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
