Crest Tables Home Boat Storage Regulation

WILDWOOD CREST — Borough Commissioners decided to table an ordinance that would limit the size and number of boats and watercraft parked on private property.
During the Oct. 19 meeting, several residents voiced their concern with the proposed ordinance that was scheduled for its second reading and final adoption.
At question was the size of the vessel and its trailer as defined in the proposed ordinance, as well as what defines an “occupant.”
According to Ordinance No. 1133, “Motorboats, sailboats, motor craft and water crafts, or any trailer carrying the same, of not more than 26 feet in total length, may be parked on private property, provided that the owner of the motorboat, sailboat, motor craft, and water craft is the occupant of the premises on which the unit is parked.”
The ordinance also states, “No more than one (1) motorboat or sailboat, and/or two (2) personal watercrafts shall be permitted to be stored on private property.”
Violators, if convicted, would face stiff penalties, including a fine of up to $1,000 for each offense with each day of the violation deemed a separate offense. Violators could also face imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding 60 days.
“Is the occupant anyone who lives there?” asked one member of the audience, citing the possibility of a summer renter parking his or her boat on the property.
Under the current proposed ordinance a renter with a boat would not be allowed to park on the property, responded Borough Administrator Kevin Yecco.
Size is also an issue. One resident told the Commissioners that most of the largest boats parked on private property in the borough are 25 – 26 feet in length. He cautioned that a trailer, along with a motor, may add an additional 7 feet to the length, thereby forcing some boats out of compliance.
“We had to pick a number,” said Mayor Carl Groon. “The intent was for the boat size.”
“The whole thing with the length is a big deal,” a resident who asked to remain anonymous told the Herald. “The ordinance, as written, is confusing,” he said. ‘It needs to be rewritten so people can understand it better.”
The Commissioners tabled the ordinance in order to gather additional information.
“They should have grabbed a couple of residents who store boats on their properties,” said the anonymous resident.