Stone Harbor Regs Change: Pools, Plastics, Bulkhead Height

STONE HARBOR – At its Aug. 7 meeting, Stone Harbor Borough Council adopted three ordinances that have significant implications.
Pools
One will finally allow bayside property owners to install pools without reference to the invisible established bulkhead, a calculated but unseen line running along the bayside.
Property owners will have a more manageable setback from the actual physical bulkhead as their limitation.
The established bulkhead line was created to preserve line of sight, protecting neighbors’ views of the water from obstruction. 
Height regulations for pools mean these structures will not be obstructions to the line of sight. Many bayside homeowners have been waiting for this opportunity to install a pool.
Plastic Use
The next establishes new regulations for the use of plastic and other environmentally-dangerous material in single-use bags, food containers, utensils and other packaging within the borough.
The ordinance which has been a long time in development aims to preserve the marine ecosystems that are so much a part of Stone Harbor. 
Stating the borough’s goal of a “cleaner environment for generations to come,” the ordinance defines what can and cannot be used in the borough.
The effective date of the ban on the use of plastic and environmentally damaging materials is June 1, 2019.
The borough adjusted the ban’s date from an original draft date of Jan. 1 to give businesses ample time to clear current stock inventory and prepare for a world without plastic bags.
Bulkhead Heights
The third ordinance established new bulkhead height regulations moving the borough mandated height from 6.2 feet to 8 feet. All bulkheads that are “constructed, reconstructed, replaced, renovated and repaired” are subject to the new regulations.
The ordinance lays out timelines for bringing bulkheads into compliance with the height rules, timelines that are tied to scientific projections for sea level rise.
The goal is that “Every bulkhead within the Borough of Stone Harbor shall be constructed to a minimum elevation of 8.00 feet NAVD 1988 no later than January 2050.”
The borough enacted the ordinance with the expectation that changes may be needed as the municipality gains experience through the initial implementation.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.