Cape May Chamber Hosts Mayor

CAPE MAY – The Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May hosted a meeting at Congress Hall Jan. 9 with Mayor Clarence Lear as the keynote speaker. 
Lear’s “State of the City” mirrored the address he delivered at the City Council reorganization meeting with a notable exception. 
The chamber meeting, which occurred the same day as the Cape May Planning Board’s public hearing on a proposed redevelopment zone showed the interest of Cape May business owners in any redevelopment plan. Questions for Lear focused on that issue.
Lear expanded on earlier remarks regarding the redevelopment proposal, seeking to address the concerns expressed by some that a “secret plan” existed to put a four-story parking garage on the parking areas of the Acme supermarket.
Lear called the remarks concerning a secret plan “unfounded criticism” of a council-initiated effort to look at the possible benefits a redevelopment authority may provide for an older area at the center of the business district.
Asserting that planning and study were essential as council and an increasingly involved citizenry seek to plan the next phase of Cape May’s evolution as a resort community, Lear defended council’s action.
Lear said that council took the step of referring the question of a redevelopment zone to the planning board because it is “important we do our homework” on many matters including the potential flexibility which a redevelopment zone might offer the city.
“We need to take a look at what is possible,” Lear said. He argued that the process is a long one and must involve “extensive public comment.”
What a redevelopment authority might offer the city for the designated block would include:
* The power to offer tax abatements.
* Flexibility concerning existing zoning and historic preservation regulations.
* An environment that could be attractive to private investment among other things.
Knowing that the first public hearing at the planning board was likely to attract a large crowd, Lear cautioned that this is an early stage in the process.
“Step one was the council action referring the matter to the planning board,” Lear said. “Today’s public hearing is only step two of the process,” he added.
What the planning board is doing, Lear argued, is looking at whether or not the block in question meets the statutory requirements for a redevelopment zone, Lear explained.
“No specific plans for a four-story garage or anything else will be discussed,” he said.
Lear was reacting to allegations that a specific plan for such a garage exists, had been shared with council members and is the impetus behind the redevelopment effort.
He twice called these allegations of a secret plan unfounded.
Lear did say that the planning board could possibly take action at the meeting following the public hearing.
If the board were to send a recommendation to the council stating that the area meets the requirements of a redevelopment zone, council as the governing body would then choose to designate a redevelopment area and proceed with a redevelopment plan ordinance.
Specific properties may be excluded from the redevelopment area by the governing body, but only properties identified by the planning board as meeting the statutory requirements may be included.
The subsequent redevelopment plan and ordinance would address the economic context for the redevelopment, land use issues, zoning concerns and similar matters, but it need not contain the detailed specifics for a future development project since those may vary when an actual potential developer is identified.
The planning board can be charged with developing the plan or playing an extensive role in its development.
Important elements of the plan, which must gain subsequent state approval, will include the local objectives for redevelopment, any relationships to the master plan and any change to the zoning element.
It is after the plan is in place and has the necessary approvals that the city would be able to begin attracting investors usually through a solicitation of interest document.
Once an investor(s) is identified the city’s conceptual development plan will be the basis for the municipality and potential investor to craft a redevelopment agreement. The governing body would then designate the investor as a redeveloper.
The concern in this process for those who oppose the current redevelopment effort is that the details contained in a redevelopment agreement would take place after the entire process had the protections of an adopted redevelopment ordinance.
They argue that challenges to the details of a proposed investor’s plan would be constrained at the point when the details are best known.
Lear argued that the city should embrace a process that allows the full exploration of development possibilities, asking the residents to trust that the governing body will make the decisions that are best for the city. He also says that public comment will be a significant factor in the governing body’s deliberations.
As for the chamber, President Tracie Cicchitti said that the Executive Board is still watching and learning.
“We don’t have a position yet,” she said. When the information is accumulated, Cicchitti promised that the Executive Board would debate the issues and develop a formal position which it will share with the governing body.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.