Wilbraham Mansion now considered a hotel, say boards

State to pay 60-percent of Beesley Bridge restoration

WCM Mayor ‘up in arms’By CHRISTOPHER

SOUTHCape May Star and Wave

CAPE MAY – Mayor PamKaithern of West Cape Mayjoined the fight for localautonomy at the WarMemorial in Trenton, lastweek, joining other local offi-cials objecting to the loss ofstate aid.

Kaithern said the League ofMunicipalities sponsored ameeting with officials fromthe state Division of LocalGovernment Services,Department of CommunityAffairs Commissioner JosephV. Doria Jr., and actingTreasurer David Rousseau

She said the state made apresentation on cuts in stateaid for small municipalities.

“They are going to elimi-nate state funding for munic-ipalities with less than 10,000people,” she said.

Kaithern said about 200people were expected toattend the meeting at the WarMemorial, and some 400showed up. Kaithern saidmost were upset, as she is,that the state has arbitrarilymade this decision, while pro-viding no documentationshowing small towns are lessefficient than large towns.

“We have four statutoryemployees (in West CapeMay) and they are all parttime. We have shared servic-es, we have bought into theplan, we have shared servicesand participated with ourneighbors,” she said. “Nowinstead of rewarding us theyare taking away state aid.They should take it awayfrom towns that are not doingwhat they should be doing.”

She said West Cape Mayeliminated its police force,shares ambulance service,water service, utilizes county

health services, and so on.She said now the aid is arbi-trarily being taken fromsmall towns and given tolarge towns.

“We’ve eliminated full timepositions, gone to part timepeople, and it’s made it hardto function. We’ve sacrificedto maintain autonomy,” shesaid.

Kaithern said most munici-palities have already calcu-lated state aid into theirbudgets, which includemunicipal contracts andagreements, and now they arebeing told there won’t be anyaid.

“This will affect tax rates,budgets...” she said.

Kaithern said 12 out of 16municipalities in Cape MayCounty have year aroundpopulations under 10,000.

“But what are they in the

Please see Mayor, Page A2

By CHRISTOPHERSOUTH

Cape May Star and Wave

WEST CAPE MAY – OnTuesday, the joint West CapeMay Planning/Zoning Boarddetermined the WilbrahamMansion to be a hotel, ratherthan a tourist guesthouse,eliminating the need for cer-tain variances.

The decision, and subse-quent votes, cleared the wayfor Wilbraham Mansionowner Dough Carnes to add athree story addition on theback of the historic structure,which now operates as a 10-room lodging facility.

Carnes was ordered to stopwork on his addition afterlearning he did not have siteplan approval. According tohis attorney, Robert DeSanto,Carnes went to West CapeMay zoning officer NormRoach and asked what hecould build on the nearly30,000 square-foot lot behindthe Wilbraham Mansion.After consulting the zoningordinance and speaking withCarnes’ architect, Roach toldCarnes he could build anadditional 12 units, and abuilding permit was issued.Roach said he never talkedabout numbers of units.

After the stop work order,

Carnes learned he wouldhave to get relief for parkingspace requirements andbuffers. In addition, if theWilbraham Mansion was aguesthouse it would need ause variance to host specialevents. As a hotel, it wouldnot.

Board attorney BrockRussell advised the jointPlanning/Zoning board tofirst determine if theWilbraham was a hotel or aguesthouse, and then it wouldknow what variances neededto be dealt with.

The zoning ordinancedescribes a hotel as “adwelling having three or

more individual sleepingunits and which is designedfor transient travelers notpermanently residing.” Thedescription of a tourist guest-house defined it as “any resi-dential appearing structurefor transient use, which when

viewed does not appear to bea hotel/motel.”

Carnes’ attorney arguedthat the Wilbraham Mansionshares common characteris-tics with national motelchains like Best Western,Days Inn or Ramada.

Additionally, the owner doesnot maintain an onsite resi-dence, which is characteristicof a bed and breakfast orguesthouse.

Ronald Galzunas, an attor

Please see Hotel, Page A13

By CHRISTOPHERSOUTH

Cape May Star and Wave

CAPE MAY – The CapeMay Historic PreservationCommission voted to approvea new demolition permit fortthe Coachman Holdings proj-ect, which includes the demo-lition of the Coachman MotorInn and Rusty Nailbar/restaurant and replacethem with a new three-storyhotel and 190 seat restaurant.

Sandy Montano, the seniorproject manager for theCoachman project, asked theHPC to extend the demolitionpermit because demolitioncould not be completed, andconstruction begun beforethe moratorium went intoeffect.

HPC solicitor RobertFineberg said, generally,approvals from the HPC canbe extended beyond the two-year limit, with the exception

of demolition permits, whichare only good for a year andcannot be extended.

“You would have to treatthis as a new application fordemolition,” Fineberg said.

However, Fineberg alsotold the HPC members theycould make the decision toissue the new demolition per-mit based on the previousresolution to grant a permit.A memorializing resolutionwas recorded on Dec. 11,2006, and expired on thesame date 2007. The HPCvoted 7-0 to grant the newdemolition permit.

Montano said CoachmanHoldings is still in theprocess of getting technicaldrawings approved by cityconstruction officials. Shesaid the project has alreadyreceived approval from thePlanning Board and the HPC.The Coachman Motor Inn is

Please see HPC, Page A2

By CHRISTOPHERSOUTH

Cape May Star and Wave

CAPE MAY COURTHOUSE – The state hasissued a memorandum ofagreement to Cape MayCounty indicating the statewould pay 60-percent of theapproximately $20 million itwould take to repair and openthe Beesley’s Point Bridge.

Freeholder Director DanBeyel said county and stateofficials met with the statetransportation commissionerMonday and received thememorandum of agreementindicating the state would pay$12 million toward the cost ofrepairing the bridge, which

has been closed since June2006. The county would paythe other $8 million with tollscollected from the Beesley’sPoint Bridge.

Cape May County BridgeCommission director StephenO’Connor said the Beesley’sPoint Bridge would becomepart of the county bridge sys-tem, but would be operatedlike none of the other fivebridges. He said 60-percentof the tolls collected on theBeesley’s Point Bridge wouldbe applied to debt service onthe bond needed to pay forthe restoration. The other 40-percent would go to operationand maintenance costs.According to O’Connor, about3,000 vehicles per day or

about 1.7 million each yearwere using the Beesley’sPoint Bridge before it closed.With vehicles paying 60 centseach way, the bridge raisedaround $860,000 in its lastyear of operation. O’Connorsaid the state would pick upthe $1.3 million in debt serv-ice for the first three yearswhile the bridge is beingrehabilitated.

Once the bridge is open thestate would pay 60-percent ofthe debt service, or about$784,000. The county wouldpay the remainder, or about$313,000 in debt service.O’Connor said once tolls arebeing collected, 60-percent ofthat amount would go to pay-ing debt service. The remain-

ing 40-percent would go tomaintenance and operationcosts. O’Connor said the goalis for the bridge to eventuallypay for its own upkeep.

Additionally, O’Connor saidthe union representingBridge Commission employ-ees has agreed not to insist onunion for scale wages foremployees at the Beesley’sPoint Bridge. The agreementwas to retain former employ-ees who are on familiar termswith local residents whowould again use the Beesley’sPoint Bridge.

State Sen. Jeff Van Drewannounced the news of theagreement at the beginning ofthe TransportationConference, gave a word ofcaution concerning potentialdelays. He said the bridge isstill privately owned, and theowners still owe the state $1million from a previous loan.Van Drew said the moneywas put into bridge repairs,and still needs to be paid backwith interest.

Secondly, the attorney gen-eral’s office has to make surethe bridge is free of litigationbefore the deal is finalized.

“The lengthiest process willbe with the attorney general’sportion,” he said. Van Drewsaid his hope is that a deputyattorney general would beassigned to the case.

Van Drew said theBeesley’s Point Bridge is a

major concern for Cape MayCounty. He said he becameacutely aware of how seriousit could be during his partici-pation on an Evacuation TaskForce.

“Evacuation is a seriousconcern across the state,from Monmouth to Cape MayCounty,” he said.

He said the task force wasconcerned with infrastruc-ture and timeliness, and thescenario in Cape May Countywas not good.

“The real truth is it’s goingto be tough,” Van Drew said.“The Beesley’s Point Bridgebeing closed puts us at a seri-ous disadvantage.”

He said the bridge was notjust a convenience, but a mat-ter of public safety. He said areal crisis could occur if theGreat Egg Harbor Bridge isclosed due to an accident. Thebridge does not have shoul-ders, and traffic tie-upswould prevent ambulancesfrom reaching ShoreMemorial Hospital.

Van Drew also called it amatter of “fairness” and“respect,” saying this situa-tion would not be allowed tohappen anywhere else in NewJersey. After dealing with theproblem for three and a halfyears, Van Drew said, thegovernor and the commis-sioner of Transportation have

Please see Bridge, Page A2

HPC: Coachmangets new permit

Photo by Harry B. Scheeler, Jr.

Star 2 runs aground A 75-foot fishing boat with three people aboard ran aground Saturday 25-yards off the coast ofWildwood Crest. The Coast Guard received a call at 2 a.m. the morning of March 8 reporting the StarII aground. Wildwood Fire and Rescue arrived on scene and transported the three people aboard toshore. A commercial salvage company was hired by the owner of the boat to remove the 200 gallonsof fuel aboard and towed the fishing boat from the beach Tuesday.

Cape Ma WaveStar154th YEAR NO. 10 CAPE MAY, N.J. 50¢SERVING AMERICA’S NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK CITY

THEATERLower Cape May

Regional opens ‘SweetCharity’ tonight, B1, 2

CAPE MAYSherlock Holmes

Weekend: The Mysteryof the Music Boxes: Can

you figure out whodunnit? A3

NATUREIs it time to go fishingyet? Lou Rodia has the

answer, B5

Time to plant thosepoppies, B5

INSIDE

MARCH TIDE TABLEHIGH LOW

am pm am pm

3/13 12:45 1:17 7:12 7:073/14 1:52 2:31 8:22 8:163/15 3:06 3:50 9:35 9:303/16 4:22 5:03 10:44 10:413/17 5:28 6:04 11:43 11:443/18 6:24 6:55 12:343/19 7:13 7:40 12:38 1:19

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2008

Inside:Our Spring

Brides special edition!

CCA gala committee members and YAP art teachers, Tina Giamo and Janet Payne show offtheir “dots” with YAP students (from left to right) Izaah Richardson,Quinn Bithell, and LillySwan. Additional polka dot-themed artwork created by YAP participants will be displayed at thePolka Dot.Com event on March 14.

CAPE MAY – The YouthArts Program (YAP), afree program run by theCenter for CommunityArts (CCA), has been busycreating decorations forCCA’s annual gala. Thisyear’s theme – PolkaDot.com will celebrate theDot.

This community galafundraiser takes place onMarch 14 from 7 p.m. to 11p.m. in the Congress HallBallroom. The Ballroomhas been donated courtesy

of the Congress Hall Hotel.There will be dancing tothe sounds of the Dr.Cheeko band while guestsdine on a variety of foodsdonated from local restau-rants as well as scrump-tious desserts and a cashbar. The suggested attireis none other than polkadots and prizes will beawarded in three cate-gories (men, women, andyouth) for the most cre-ative use of the dot in one’soutfit or accessory. There

will also be a silent auctionfeaturing artwork, gift cer-tificates, and prize baskets.

Tickets are $40 inadvance and can be pur-chased at the CCA office,712 Lafayette Street,Whale’s Tale, 312Washington Street, and atSwain’s Ace Hardware,305 Jackson Street. Thecost at the door is $50.

The Youth Arts Programis now at three locations,

Please see Gala, Page A13

Polka Dot.Com gala