CAPE MAY — Sharon Wendel and her neighbors do not want to see a house on their Broad Street block demolished, or fall into such disrepair that demolition becomes inevitable.
“It has not been inhabited for quite some time,” she told City Council this week, speaking at the public hearing on a new ordinance banning “demolition by neglect” in the city’s historic district.
Council approved the ordinance unanimously, one of two votes related to the historic district at the meeting.
“We do not want to see these beautiful old buildings demolished by neglect,” Mayor Zack Mullock said.
The city zoning officer, code enforcement officer and the Historic Preservation Commission compliance officer have the authority to investigate and notify owners of violations, the ordinance reads.
After a notice of neglect, the property owner has 30 days to begin repairs or present a plan to undertake repairs. The owner also has a right to appeal.
Eventually, the city can undertake repairs to stabilize and protect the structure, the ordinance reads, and can impose a lien on the property to cover the cost.
As the ordinance was being introduced at a previous meeting, city attorney Christopher Gillin-Schwartz said the city already has property maintenance rules and building codes that prevent owners from neglecting properties. This ordinance clarifies those rules, Gillin-Schwartz said at a September meeting, and provides a framework for code enforcement officials.
Cape May has introduced an ordinance banning “demolition by neglect,” as recommended by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission.
The ordinance seeks to protect historic properties from “deliberate or inadvertent neglect.”
Wendel said the Broad Street property is heavily overgrown. A view from Google maps, taken in September, shows a dense growth of cedar and other trees, and growth blocking the walk to the front steps.
Property records show the house being built in 1900 and owned by two people in the Bronx by the name of Greene, a name with deep connections to Cape May’s Black history. Obituaries show two people with the same names died in the Bronx in 2020.
A registration form filed with the National Register of Historic Places includes the Broad Street property on a list of properties that may have significance to Cape May’s African American history, but that it needs further investigation.
Real estate websites indicate the property is not for sale and put its estimated value at about $1 million.
Another ordinance, also approved unanimously by council this week, calls for buyers to be notified of the status of properties within the city’s historic district, whether a key property, contributing or non-contributing.
The notice also will let property owners know when they need to go before the city’s Historic Preservation Commission before undertaking work on the exterior of the property.
The notice would be part of the required zoning inspection when a property changes hands.
State work continues in the Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area in Lower Township, with a section set to remain closed through this year and most of next year.
Council member Steve Bodnar spoke in favor of the ordinance, saying it would ensure buyers know the status of their new properties.
“We all know, and I think we all accept that there’s a responsibility for those that own a property in the historic district. Some people consider it a burden,” he said. “At least you need to know going in whether you own a key, contributing or non-contributing property.”
Cape May has some of the area’s strictest historic preservation rules. The entire city has been declared a National Historic Landmark.
Contact Bill Barlow:
609-272-7290
bbarlow@pressofac.com
X @jerseynews_bill
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