Theater Owner Briefs Council on Upgrade; All Liquor Licenses Approved

STONE HARBOR – Stone Harbor Borough Council continued to hear updates June 21 about the much-anticipated opening of a new movie theater on 96th Street. 
One of the partners in the venture, Clint Bunting, told the council that the trend across the country is providing access to high-end movie theaters.  Renovating what was until recently a typical small-town multiplex, Bunting, and his partners are preparing to open a venue that promises a total experience for customers.
Restoring the structure to its historical roots, the new owners are planning a four-theater venue with private suites available, a burger bar, and even a menu of craft beers and wine. 
It is the proposed sale of alcohol that brought Bunting back to the council. 
This was the council meeting when the governing body dealt with annual renewal of liquor licenses.
Bunting, his partners, and their attorney were able to satisfy council that they had the proper controls in place to assure that alcohol would not be sold to minors or passed to minors in the darkened theater complex.
What they described was a layered approach with three overlapping checks to ensure that only adults consume the beer and wine offered as part of the total experience. 
It is an approach that has worked in other areas of the country, they stated. Satisfied, council approved the extension of a liquor license to cover the theater.
Plans for opening the complex continue to evolve. While there is a hope that the opening will occur in June before the Fourth of July Weekend, Bunting could not promise any date. “We are in this for the long haul,” he said, noting that many details needed attention before the doors are open to the public.
Police Accreditation
The Stone Harbor Police Department successfully achieved accreditation from the New Jersey Chiefs of Police Association. Public Safety Committee Chair Judith Davies-Dunhour said that a formal recognition of the achievement would occur at a future council meeting.
The accreditation process subjects the department to rigorous review to ensure that accepted standards and best practices are observed and implemented throughout multiple areas of department activity. Reaccreditation is required after three years.
Other Business
Council President Karen Lane announced that monitoring of the Atlantic City Electric Peermont Substation Project has continued on a daily basis. She indicated that the borough was expecting the utility’s contractor to complete the project before month’s end.
Borough Administrator Jill Gougher said that the municipality continued to prepare for the resumption of dredging after the summer. Discussions are underway to see if Avalon’s contained disposal facility site could provide some additional capacity for Stone Harbor dredge material.
A controversial plan this past year designated the municipal marina at 80th Street as a dewatering site before trucking dredge material off the island. 
That process, hotly protested by residents of the area, experienced multiple incidents where spills forced a shutdown of operations by the State Department of Environmental Protection. Negotiations with the state continue to ensure that the borough can resume the project in the fall. A key element will be a plan for dredge material disposal with appropriate protections for the environment.
Revaluation Approved
An ordinance passed final reading and approval to allow for the mandated state reevaluation of property assessment. The reevaluation process must be completed in time for the results to be the basis for 2017 property taxes.
Point Signage
Joselyn Rich, chair of the borough’s Natural Resources Committee, said that survey results showed that 70 percent of visitors to the Point are there for the first time. To protect the delicate ecology of the area and to accommodate the shifting land configuration caused by natural sand accretion, the borough has posted signage aimed at catching the attention of visitors and providing information on rules for use of the area.
Beach Report
Public Works Committee Chair Joan Kramar said that the beaches are holding up so far. Her comments referenced the extensive work done to move sand and reclaim some semblance of beach after the borough was hit hard by winter storms.
Both Stone Harbor and Avalon have depended on make-shift efforts for this summer season since the two boroughs are due for a federal beach replenishment project beginning in the fall. The hard work has paid off, but the shorter beaches are still very vulnerable to new storms prior to the fall replenishment.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.