Surfer Only Beach Sparks Controversy in Ocean City

July 25, 2006

By Cathy Gandolfo

OCEAN CITY, NJ - July 25, 2006 - Ocean City has three surfing beaches, but one called Waverly Beach in the north end has sparked controversy. This is the first year that is has been designated for surfers only, much to the dismay of property owners who live across the street.

"It means that only people who chose to surf can be here," said resident Barbara Harris. "Prior to this summer, this beach was shared by everybody - surfers before 10 and after 5, and in between that time if you wanted to swim, jump waves with your kids, bogey board, wade, whatever, you were able to do that."

Surfers say Waverly Beach is a good place to catch the waves, but residents who live across East Atlantic Avenue from the surfing only beach are upset. Summer resident Lauren Asher says not only can't they use the beach, but traffic is terrible and so is the behavior of some of the surfers.

"There's public changing all day long on our property. They sit on our walls. They use our hoses. They use our showers. It's complete invasion of privacy," said Asher.

Charles Bowman, deputy chief of the fire department and beach patrol, was on the board that designated Waverly as the surfer beach on this end. In part, he says, it comes down to numbers.

"We picked it because of the waves, because of the lack of people being impacted. Once again, we realize the six families are across the street. However, the good of the many outweigh the given few," said Bowman.

Most surfers with whom we spoke are unaware of the controversy. They just want a place to catch a wave

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Lexington, Kentucky, located near about an hour east of Louisville, is a city known as the "Horse Capital of the World."

They have seen a housing market strengthen steadily (4 to 6 percent appreciation rates) over the last half of a decade, but not at the same booming rate as the rest of the country. An ample inventory has kept supply and demand in check, leaving the average days on market anywhere from 6 to 8 months, depending on the price range. Experts are reporting the city to be a moderate buyers market with slightly rising prices.

Onto the eastern coast, we look next to Ocean City, New Jersey. This city is famous for being a family resort city, with plenty of beach and condos to go around. The TravelChannel.com even voted it the "Best Family Beach."

But as the inventory of homes for sale increases -- there are 42 percent more condos on the market than in 2005 -- the market is coming into hard times. Average condo prices dropped 9 percent this year to $626,595. Pushing this even harder is the lack of buyers on the market. Fifty-seven percent fewer condos sold this year so far.

This means that the market is in the buyers favor. As sellers experience a harder time making a sale, they become more willing to negotiate on prices and terms.

But don't wait too long. One expert reports to Realty Times, "Ultimately the market is reacting well to the little pause in the market. We have more inventory than last year this time, but properties are moving. This market is not doom and gloom and ultimately prices are on a upward trend. The time to purchase is now."

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Plan for downtown fee alarms O.C. merchants

By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer, (609) 463-6712

Published: Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Updated: Wednesday, July 19, 2006

OCEAN CITY — The mayor's proposal to improve the downtown through zoning changes is stirring controversy among some merchants.

In a 20-page ordinance, Mayor Sal Perillo proposed ways to protect downtown shops from the tremendous pressure of rental condo construction the island is seeing.

“The downtown is out of balance,” Perillo said. “The existing zoning in my judgment promotes residential development at the expense of commercial development.”

More than two dozen business owners attended a public meeting Tuesday to make their own recommendations.

Perhaps the biggest change is a parking requirement, the first in the city's Central Business Zone since 1996. Developers would have to provide two parking spaces per new residential unit. But only one parking space per unit would be permitted on site. The others would be provided through a city fee of $25,000 per space. Ultimately, this money would pay for a new public parking lot or garage downtown.

Business owners balked at the steep figure.

Councilman Keith Hartzell owns three mixed-use buildings on Asbury Avenue, including the one in which he lives. Hartzell said the parking fee seemed exorbitant to him.

“It will benefit everyone, but the burden is on us,” he said.

“I think $3,000 to $5,000 is more reasonable,” said Paul Schaeffer, owner of Denovum. “Merchants already pay a Special Improvement District fee. That money is going into a fund, and not one dime of parking revenue has come downtown. All of the (public) lots are on the Boardwalk.”

Schaeffer is one of several Asbury Avenue property owners who plan to rebuild soon. He hired a Washington, D.C., architect to replace his familiar purple store with a three-story steel, glass and copper building. This would include two retail stores on the ground floor and eight condos on the second and third stories.

Schaeffer said both he and his parents eventually plan to live in his new building. Under the ordinance, he would have to pay $200,000 in parking fees alone.

Schaeffer also questioned whether some of the design rules imposed by the ordinance were too restrictive.

Much of the ordinance addresses display windows, store signs and canopies geared to making Asbury Avenue a welcoming place for pedestrians, said planner Michelle M. Taylor of the Taylor Design Group.

The ordinance also would outlaw the use of vinyl siding on building facades in the Central Business District.

“As you walk, there's a feeling of continuity, like on the Boardwalk,” she said.

Former Councilman Ron Denney and Donald Johnson of Johnson's Electric also plan to build on Asbury Avenue. Their applications before the Planning Board are on hold until the mayor's proposed zoning changes are approved by City Council.

“I like the fact that the mayor is thinking about the future of our downtown. He wants to make it attractive and improve it,” said Cheryl Huber, who leases space to Hoy's Five and Dime on Asbury Avenue.

Huber said she has no immediate plans to rebuild. But the parking fee is a concern, she said.

Tuesday was the first public meeting on the proposal. Perillo is hosting six such meetings to solicit comments from the public, City Council and professionals such as architects and planners.

To e-mail Michael Miller at The Press:MMiller@pressofac.com

New O.C. mayor offers truce to opponents at inauguration

By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer, (609) 463-6712

Published: Sunday, July 2, 2006

Updated: Sunday, July 2, 2006

OCEAN CITY — Sal Perillo was sworn into office Saturday to become the first new mayor in this resort in 14 years.

Superior Court Judge Kyran Connor administered the oath of office to Perillo in front of Perillo's wife, Mary Ellen, and a nearly packed house at the Music Pier.

Perillo easily won election in May over three competitors. In doing so, he spent a city-record $120,301, much of which went to defending political attacks and engaging in a few of his own.

Perillo offered an olive branch of sorts to his opponents' supporters.

“To those of you who did not know me well enough to vote for me, I promise to work diligently to earn your respect and confidence,” he said.

He said he would put the campaign behind him with City Council, including the three at-large councilmen sworn in Saturday: Keith Hartzell, Scott Ping and Michael Allegretto.

“They recognize, as do I, the deep desire to bring the divisiveness and contentiousness to an end,” he said.

Perillo, who has a private law practice, said the death of his father, Gennaro, last November made him take stock of his own life.

“I decided to devote some balance of the rest of my life to public service,” Perillo said.

As mayor, he said he will make better use of the city's Web site and public-access television channel. He said he will create a task force composed of local residents to improve city operations. And he vowed to support development “compatible with the city's residential neighborhoods.”

The reorganization was a nonpartisan civic celebration unlike anything else in Ocean City. Family and friends of competing candidates attended along with local lawmakers and former mayors Roy Gillian and Bud Knight, who has been a former mayor for just a day.

Many City Hall regulars also attended, including a group of residents whom the city is suing. They have a court date next week over the group's efforts to tie city spending to the federal cost-of-living adjustment. But on Saturday, the group applauded the plaintiffs.

To e-mail Michael Miller at The Press: