STONE HARBOR – Toward the end of 2021, Stone Harbor Borough Council took up an ordinance that aimed at banning the use of public property for private events.
The main concern at the time was the growth of block parties that resulted in closed streets and had the strong potential to disturb neighbors. An exception was made for nonprofits, who could seek council approval for events that used public property as long as the organization was acting “in the scope of their purpose.”
An ordinance was ultimately drafted, debated, and adopted. At the council meeting July 19, the council unanimously approved an event organized by a private citizen that uses public property. The event is a family sandcastle build to take place Aug. 2, and for which the Department of Public Works will be asked to deliver a quantity of sand to the public beach.
Councilwoman Jennifer Gensemer raised the question of council approving something outside the guidelines of the ordinance. Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour said she saw no difficulties with the event, which did not impact neighbors in the way a street event would. Council seems to agree with that logic, and what will probably be an uncontroversial event will proceed.
The issue unspoken is that, once again, council is sidestepping its own ordinance after purposefully drafting the ordinance to be a total ban. At the time, the argument was that allowing any private use of public property for an event opened a door that is not easily closed. It appears that the total ban will not always be a total ban.
