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Housing Dilemmas
Cape May County continues to benefit from the state’s highest year–over–year increases in home prices, even as the absolute increases in price moderate. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York data for April 2023 shows an average of 11% growth in year-to-year home prices in the county. That is down from the rate of 23% in April 2022 and 18% in 2021, but it still leads the state.
The market is slowing with tighter inventories. Realtor.com reports that Cape May County had 23% fewer newly listed home sales in May 2023 compared with May 2022. The May median new listing price in Cape May County was the highest in the state at $935,750.
Contrast this with the new report on affordable rental properties in the county. The National Low Income Housing Coalition produced its annual report on rentals showing that rental households in the county need an average of 2.8 full-time jobs in order to afford a decent two-bedroom unit without spending more than 30% of gross income on housing.
The point of all the numbers is that the county is sorely lacking in available housing that would provide lower–income families with a place to live without forcing them to expend too much of their income on housing.
Meanwhile, a short–term rental (STR) tracking organization, AirDNA, is predicting that consumers will prioritize travel, even with the level of economic uncertainty likely to remain through most of 2023. The prediction includes an expectation that “the 2023 summer travel season will be prolonged as travelers look toward less busy months for off-season rates.”
In short, developments in the STR market still make conversion of rental properties from long term to short term attractive, thereby increasing the pressure on long–term rental pricing.
Wind Wars Continue
This week, the county approved service agreements for one year with three firms in its ongoing opposition to Ørsted North America Inc.’s offshore wind turbine project. The county’s opposition to the wind farm developments off the coast is also evident to drivers on county roads who encounter digital signs protesting the push into offshore wind.
In Upper Township, a June 12 governing body meeting had residents demanding that the township take a position on the offshore wind initiative. Thus far, three members of the five–member council have refused to do so.
Upper Township continues to move ahead with support for the development of the electric substation at Beesley’s Point that will link power from the wind farms to the land-based electrical grid.
Elsewhere, Ørsted entered June having finalized its buyout of U.S. partner PSEG for that firm’s share of the Ocean Wind I wind farm project. Ørsted announced May 31, “With today’s executed agreement, Orsted has reimbursed PSEG for all of its cumulative outlays in the Ocean Wind I project, and Orsted now owns 100% of New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm.”
Oral arguments will be heard June 21 in Superior Court on the Ocean Wind I litigation seeking to force Ocean City to issue required permits to begin testing for the high-voltage transmission lines that will run from the wind farm through Ocean City on their way to Beesley’s Point. These oral arguments have been rescheduled twice and may be altered again.
New Leaders Everywhere
A changing of the guard appears underway in many areas of Cape May County leadership.
Two of the area’s largest police departments have long-serving chiefs of police retiring, opening the door to new leadership.
In Wildwood, Chief Robert Regalbuto ends a 35-year career with the department. In Middle Township, Christopher Leusner has stepped down, opening the door to the promotion of Jennifer DeLanzo as the township’s first female chief of police.
Police changes occurred in North Wildwood, as well, where the city promoted three to command staff, including Katherine Madden as the first female captain in the department’s history.
Following the replacements of school superintendents in Ocean City and Upper Township, an opening for the position of superintendent in Lower Cape May Regional School District is expected to be filled soon. The departure of the superintendent in North Wildwood adds to the shift in leadership at county school districts. The County Technical School District also has a new superintendent.
July 1 will bring to a close the 32-year term of Martin Pagliughi as mayor of Avalon, with Mayor-elect John McCorristin ready to be sworn in as the first new chief executive of the borough in over three decades.
In Middle Township, Mayor Timothy Donohue announced early that he would not seek reelection, leaving the path open for Leusner, who is running unopposed for a seat on the Township Committee in the November election.
Even the leadership of the Board of County Commissioners has shifted. Leonard Desiderio is the new commissioner director. He is not new to the commission but is to the top job.
Happenings
Ocean City held a special meeting of the City Council to adopt two ordinances setting an earlier juvenile curfew and banning backpacks for beaches and boardwalks. Earlier, the council tabled an ordinance aimed at banning e-bikes from the boardwalk.
Avalon appears ready to move forward with an external review of its business district boutique hotel overlap while some residents say the study is too narrowly focused on hospitality at the expense of an overall business district review.
Middle Township’s school superintendent reported vandalism of the school building by a group of20 or so seniors, all of whom have been disciplined. Meanwhile, Wildwood Catholic Academy received a $5 million gift from a North Wildwood woman to promote Catholic education.
An Avalon resident has written the borough’s Environmental Commission and spoken out to the governing body seeking a review of the increased use of bird deterrent devices in the town.
Sea Isle City adopted a new flood prevention ordinance, which the city solicitor admits is still a work in progress. The ordinance is key to the city’s strategy to regain its level 3 Community Rating System (CRS) status by this fall.
Wildwood Crest introduced an ordinance banning accessory buildings or structures in the front yard. A controversial front yard shed on East Columbine Road elicited neighbor protests to the borough. It is being moved to the backyard.
North Wildwood City Clerk and Historian Scott Jett traced the development of Anglesea and the eventual need for schools.
Cape May City Council heard complaints from residents that liquor license conditions concerning outdoor music are not being enforced. The council wants to hear from the city manager and police chief.
A Villas nonprofit is a hub where artists can off-load excess materials and buy smaller quantities of things they need. The owner calls it a “creative reuse center.”
A look at elections equipment and protocols shows how secure county elections are despite claims that the process is ripe for abuse.
Wildwood Crest Commissioners are considering the purchase of a $44,000 lightning warning system that they hope will save lives.
A Dennis Township woman who faces stage 4 colon cancer has the help of friends who have created a GoFundMe page that has already raised nearly $7,500, as of June 19.
Spout Off of the Week
North Wildwood – A North Wildwood home owner took down his obscene Biden flag and replaced it with an American flag. There’s hope for bringing back respect for others.
Read more spouts at spoutoff.capemaycountyherald.com.
