CAPE MAY – The Friends and Neighbors of East Cape May (FAN ECM), a recently formed neighborhood association delivered to the Cape May City Clerk April 12 more than enough voter signatures needed to suspend the operation of new parking and metering ordinances passed by City Council on March 16, according to press release from the organization.
In total, 220 signatures on 37 petitions were delivered to city hall, just 24 hours prior to the deadline, according to Jerry Gaffney, a member of the committee and a former Cape May mayor. He said three former mayors signed the petition.
The ordinances allowed the city to create more than 300 new parking spaces by using back in angle parking on Beach Avenue and install parking meters in the east side of town where parking has been free of charge.
East Cape May homeowners filled City Hall auditorium March 16 urging council to table two of three parking ordinances.
Council voted 3-1 to approve the three ordinances to make the parking changes with Councilman David Kurkowski cast the lone dissenting vote.
Mayor Edward J. Mahaney Jr. acknowledged the city needs new sources of revenue, particularly in a time when state aid is being cut. The additional meters will provide the city nearly $150,000 in additional yearly revenue.
“This is a major victory for a fair and broad democratic process in Cape May,” said James A. Testa, a spokesman for the FAN ECM. “These ordinances were rushed into place by a divided council for speculative amounts of revenue over the strenuous objections of an entire neighborhood and contrary to expert evidence concerning their damage to historic assets, property values and quality of life.”
“Cape May voters have now spoken to say they should decide the important issue of whether pay parking and radical traffic changes should come to the East End and, if so, how,” Testa continued. “There are many ways to raise parking revenue that don’t require putting commercial meters in a 100 year old residential district with National Historic Landmark status.”
“This issue has far reaching implications for residential and historic streets and neighborhoods throughout Cape May,” said Testa. “The real question is whether Cape May will stay true to its tradition of preservation that attracts tourists from all over and who generate substantial revenues, or whether it will degrade its unique charm and ambiance with a blight of unwanted and unnecessary parking meters. We sincerely thank the broad spectrum of voters from all over Cape May who supported preservation and neighborhood values over insensitive commercialism.”
State law allows local ordinances to be suspended pending a decision by referendum if enough voters sign a petition prior to the ordinances becoming effective. FAN ECM submitted over 220 voter signatures, about 22% of the votes cast in the last general election and 45% more than the 152 votes that were needed.
The next step in the process, unless the City Administration chooses to contest the petition, is to schedule a voter referendum to decide the issue, or to withdraw the ordinances.
Three of five Cape May City Council positions are up for election in May with no incumbents running for re-election.
The Friends and Neighbors of East Cape May is very interested in knowing what each of the candidates has to say on the issue of protecting neighborhood values in the East End and elsewhere, said the press release. A candidate’s night will be held at Cape May Elementary School Thursday at 7 p.m.
Gaffney told the Herald the city could approach the county Board of Elections and determine whether a special referendum election should be held on the parking and meter issue or include a referendum question on the November election ballot.
The city may be able to avoid a voter referendum on the issue under a state statute that allows a municipality to choose parking meter locations not subject to a vote of the public.
The association intends to air the issues and candidates’ positions on its website, www.eastcapemay.org .
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