City Passes Rules on Event Houses

CAPE MAY – City council unanimously approved an ordinance regulating use of so-called “event houses.” Citing numerous complaints over a period of three years, Mayor Edward Mahaney, Jr. noted that several public meetings have been held on the issue, which council has been working on since last summer. The ordinance came with the recommendation of the Cape May Planning Board.
The ordinance defines an event house as one owned, maintained and/or advertised as a destination for gatherings of guests who are not living in the building. The regulations effectively bar event houses from residential areas. While allowing such properties in the commercial hotel C-3 zone, the ordinance restricts the number of events that can be held at properties each year and establishes fees and regulations governing the size and nature of the events. Homes that meet the definition would also be subject to inspections. To protect tourists from disruption often associated with large commercial events, the use of event houses, even in approved areas, is banned from July 1 to Labor Day each year.
Council amended the ordinance adding a further restriction that requires windows be closed if music is being played indoors after 9 p.m. The ordinance bans outdoor music after that time.
The ordinance was carefully drawn to ensure that it does not interfere with the rights of residents to host events such as weddings and graduations in their homes. People who live in a home for more than 90 days are able to hold events without a license. Public notice of the ordinance will occur next week and it will become law 20 days later.
Free Beach Tags for Veterans and Active Duty Military
Council approved an ordinance giving veterans and active duty military and their families free beach tags this summer. At an earlier meeting, City Manager Bruce MacLeod estimated the potential loss in revenue from the program at $24,000. Cape May is the latest municipality in the state to take advantage of a law Governor Christie signed in January allowing beach communities to offer free or reduced cost tags to veterans.
Joe Griffies, a Vietnam veteran from Rio Grande, praised the program. “I think what you are doing is not to save the veterans $20 on a beach tag. You are telling them ‘somebody cares.’”
Capt. Todd Prestidge, commanding officer of the U. S. Coast Guard Training Center, also spoke at the meeting expressing appreciating on behalf of the 1,000 active duty military personnel at the center.
Cape May has a separate and self-sustaining beach utility. MacLeod hopes that over time the cost of the program can be self-liquidating and there will be no impact on the taxpayer. “We are very confident, even if we are oversubscribed, which we hope we will be, that we have the capability of doing this,” said Mahaney.
Special tags with an American flag will be available in City Hall after the ordinance becomes effective in April. The tags will also be available to the New Jersey National Guard and the New Jersey Army National Guard.
2014 Budget
Council formally adopted the 2014 budget. Prior to the budget resolution, council approved an ordinance allowing the budget to exceed appropriation limits and establish a CAP bank. In effect, Cape May is allowed under state law to exceed the limits for growth in budget appropriation and set aside the increase for potential future use if there is a later need to exceed the mandatory calculated limits. MacLeod recommended such an approach in his budget message.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.