ED CLEMENTE
Asks for Readers Help to Save Gazebo
To the Editor:
I’ve been trying to handle this situation with the gazebo on my own. When the gazebo was built in 2000 and the first etched glass panels, that I made during the two prior years, were installed, the construction official told me that the gazebo was too high and that I should donate the gazebo to the city. The permit that he issued said 19 feet- 45/8 inches and was approved by him. I immediately sent a certified letter to Mayor Leonard Desiderio telling him that the gazebo was built in the memory of my late husband, to come see it for himself, to see why the etched glass panels were worth saving. He never responded.
The witness gathered all their friends to confront the mayor at the commissioners’ meeting. I could not be there because there was a warrant out for my arrest from the city about this. The person who threatened me said that the city wants to put the gazebo at JFK and the beach. At the commissioners’ meeting, City Solicitor Baldini said to the newspapers that I had two options, to comply or donate the gazebo to the city.
When I went to the Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing, the members and their zoning board lawyer were all talking about donating the gazebo to the city and that the city had a place to put it. The new construction official who will do the final inspection before Oct. 14 is the husband of this zoning board lawyer.
Thousands of petitions were signed in order to create a gazebo-only ordinance. They are open-air structures. The 15-foot height restriction was made in 1991 to stop illegal second floor garage apartments. The mayor has received six sets of signed petitions at city hall and at commissioners’ meetings. He has ignored the will of the people.
Last spring a city council member who represented the mayor and council met with me at the gazebo and said that I should donate the gazebo to the city to JFK and the beach. I told him to look up at the ceiling where all of the names of the people who signed the petition including his. I said all the people could not fit on the ceiling. He got upset and left.
On July 1, 2010 the city had me in court with Judge William Todd and City Solicitor Paul Baldini wanted to have the gazebo torn down the next day. The city had a gun to my head giving me this ultimatum in order to have me still donate the gazebo to the city. Judge Todd did mention the certified letter that I had sent to Gov. Chris Christie for an investigation into the city’s threats and intimidations to get me to donate the gazebo.
On July 27, mayor and council introduced the plan for a gazebo at JFK and the beach. It is a white gazebo with eight posts and what appears to be a row of glass panels around all sides of the gazebo. You can now see this on Channel 2 and the Sea Isle City web site.
I have to Oct. 14 to lower the gazebo or the city will remove it.
I have not run out of legal options but I can no longer afford to financially fight the city so I’m working with a group of friends to help lower the gazebo.
The court order states that I have from Oct. 2 to Oct. 14 to lower the gazebo to 15 feet; it has been nothing but rain and wind.
Someone told me, “Louise, I know you have been trying to handle this on your own. It’s time you asked for help.” If you would like to help me, go to www.savetheseaislecitvgazebo.com. The web site will show you what the city was trying to do. This web site does not make the gazebo public, it makes the situation that the city made public.
A very nice person gave me a blessed crucifix to put on top of the cupola to help to protect the ga-zebo. It should be noted that at the Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing, everyone spoke in favor of the variance; no one spoke against it, and yet they voted 7-0 against it.
LOUISE CLEMENTE
Sea Isle City
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
