Final Draft of Ordinance for Regulations on ‘Event Houses’ Drawn

CAPE MAY – The Resort Homes Advisory Committee agreed on a final draft of a proposed ordinance that would regulate homes in the city that are advertised as event houses during a meeting Jan. 23. Next, the ordinance will be moved to council’s work session Feb. 4, where should a majority of council find the ordinance agreeable, it will proceed to public discussion and adoption in March.
The city defines an event house as “a dwelling unit that is used, maintained, and/or advertised as a destination location for a gathering of invited guests who are not using the structure for habitable purposes, but is used primarily for functions and special events including, but not limited to, weddings, retreats, parties and meetings where the total number of occupants inside and/or outside of the structure exceeds 30 people.”
Properties where the owners or tenants utilize the home as their residence for longer than 90 days are not considered event houses.
According to the ordinance, these event houses would be subject to a licensing fee of $300 per license year. The licensing year begins April 1 and runs through the following March 31.
Several conditions must be met before an event house license can be issued; including a zoning permit certifying the property meets the proper zoning requirements for an event house, a certificate of fire code compliance from the Fire Code Official, and a certificate from the Construction Office showing the property is in compliance with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
Another condition addresses the maximum occupancy of the event house. Section 310-24 (E.) states that “The maximum number of attendees, including staff hired to work at the event shall not exceed (i) the lesser of 50 or the maximum occupancy limit for inside the events and (ii) 125 for outside events. All event houses shall have the occupancy load prominently posted inside the premises at a location to be approved by the City’s code enforcement officer.”
Property owners will also be required to submit an event notification form to the city clerk at least 30 days in advance of an event house function. Items that must accompany the notification include the property address, the date, time and duration of the event, number of attendees, the purpose of the event, if the event will be held inside, outside, or both, a parking plan, amenities, such as music and entertainment, contact information for an on-site individual, and a permit fee in the amount of $75.
Additionally, no event house functions will be permitted between July 1 and Labor Day, and each event house will be limited to three event house functions per calendar year.
“When we identified this issue last summer we told the public that we would address it and we are moving forward to do that so that we will have a summer of 2014 in which everyone has a quality of life that they envision when they live, work or visit Cape May,” said Mayor Edward J. Mahaney. “And that neighbors are enjoying the comfort of the shore, not arguing over whose property rights have been compromised.”
To contact Kirby Reed, email kreed@cmcherald.com.