CAPE MAY CITY – It has been a long process that may finally be coming to a close. In order to acquire a small piece of state Green Acres land on Lafayette Street for the construction of a new police facility, the city has proposed a land swap, offering to place under Green Acres protection 6.6 acres of city-owned land commonly known as the Sewell Tract. In return the city would get 0.14 acres of parkland at the intersection of Lafayette and St. John streets.

The process to gain state approval began with a DEP hearing to get public opinion in April 2022. A new public hearing notice has been posted on the city website in which the DEP says, “A hearing to obtain public comment on this request will be held at the City of Cape May City Hall Auditorium, 643 Washington Street, Cape May, New Jersey 08204 on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 6 p.m.” The website also explains the mechanism for submitting written comments on the proposal.