Cape May – Former Deputy Mayor Niels Favre took back the title yesterday at the City’s Reorganization Meeting July 1. Favre replaces Councilmember Linda Steenrod who took the helm at last year’s July 1 meeting.
Council also announced the settlement of a 20-year lawsuit between East Cape May Associates, owners of the 96-acre Sewell Tract located east of Pittsburgh Avenue, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. It was back in the ’80s when the city first received an application to develop the tract, which originally called for 366 residential units.
The announced settlement calls for limited development of 18 acres, including 71 residential homes and 14 affordable housing units, plus the addition of a 78-acre tract of land which will become the Sewell Point Wildlife Sanctuary.
Mayor Edward Mahaney and Councilmember Terri Swain received certificates of merit from Rutgers University for completion of university’s municipal training course fro newly eelcted officials.
In other council business, Mayor Mahaney gave his State of City address in which he emphasized council’s placing the construction of Convention Hall at the top of their priority list. Mayor Mahaney said he hops bids will go out in August, with the hope that demolition can begin soon after the Labor Day holiday.
Council also approved the first budget for the Washington Street Mall Management Company, the city’s first Business Improvement District (BID). The $58,000 budget is expected to go toward the marketing and enhancement of the Washington Street Mall.
