Condo Problems

Condo problems in Wildwoods being ignored, critics complain
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Saturday, April 29, 2006
Updated: Saturday, April 29, 2006

NORTH WILDWOOD — Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. said Friday that he was offended by the notion that the Joint Construction Office of the Wildwoods, or JCOW, is ignoring code violations that have affected the owners of several hundred condominium units on the island.

During the agency's regular monthly meeting, resident Maryetta Delahanty, who lives at the Schooner Bay Condominiums on Hand Avenue in Wildwood, said her building and others have serious code violations, and she asked JCOW to stop “brushing off” the seriousness of the problem.

“Our Schooner Bay Condominiums are a fire trap,” Delahanty said.

The state Department of Community Affairs identified about 500 units in 79 buildings on the island that were improperly inspected or constructed based on the construction code for the units.

“We have not brushed off anything,” Troiano said.

Troiano said he was a battalion chief with the Holly Beach Volunteer Fire Department and he would never take an issue of fire safety lightly.

Resident Eugene Sanguinetti, a longtime code official, also spoke and asked the JCOW board to better manage the agency to avoid similar problems and to accept responsibility.

Following the meeting, board member Kevin Yecco, representing Wildwood Crest, said the board delayed adoption of its $1.6 million budget while it awaits a final report from consultant Fred Coldren.

Coldren was brought in at a maximum fee of $5,000 to assess the agency's managements and operations.

As for the code violations, Yecco said attorney Glenn P. Callahan, hired by JCOW, was working to come up with solutions with the people involved.

Callahan said Friday he expects the island's municipalities to come to some resolution within the next few days on how owners of those affected condominiums can rent out their properties. The issuance of mercantile licenses has been suspended for those units.

Meanwhile, he continues to meet with developers, builders, architects and condominium associations to whittle down the list of troubled buildings.

So far, six buildings, with a total of 46 units, are off the list and another seven buildings, with 53 units, are likely to be removed from the list once it is confirmed they were actually built according to code, he said.

Work is being done on at least one building to fix its violations, and the goal is to get as many done before he submits an amended complaint to Judge Steven Perskie, who is handling the management of any legal proceedings in the matter.

Callahan said the problems — related to fire safety and fire suppression — are by their nature serious, but while the initial thinking was that some of the buildings may have to come down, that is not the case.

The remedies will cost at the most somewhere in the tens of thousands of dollars, and in many cases a lot less, Callahan said.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Zoning Change

Wildwood zoning changes may draw more high-rise devleopments
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Saturday, April 29, 2006
Updated: Saturday, April 29, 2006

WILDWOOD — City Commission this week approved a series of changes to its land-use ordinance, two years after an initial round of substantial changes.

The lengthy ordinance contains some minor changes related to setbacks and similar zoning issues, while others are designed to draw more high-rise hotel construction to the resort. A handful of high rise hotels, most about 25-stories, have already been approved.

Among the major changes is an adjustment to the permitted floor-area ratio, which refers to the amount of floor space for a given lot.

Under the city's existing regulations, the floor area ratio was six, but under the new rules it will increase to 10.

That means a 50,000 square feet lot which is allowed 300,000 square feet in floor area under current city rules could increase the amount of floor area to 500,000 square feet.

In addition, high-rise hotels will now be considered a permitted use as opposed to a conditional use in the city's hotel/motel zone, which extends from Ocean to Atlantic avenues south of Lincoln Avenue.

Now, developers will need fewer variances when they come before the city Zoning Board. The ordinance will take effect May 23.

East Spencer Avenue property owner Mike Dellavella spoke against the ordinance, which he said would only add to the city's density.

Resident Al Brannen said the city was chasing residents out of town while making life easier for developers.

“It seems like the city of Wildwood is bending over backwards for developers,” he said.

Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. said the city was doing nothing of the sort.

The ordinance, he said, actually reduces density, and he added the changes were recommended by the Planning and Zoning boards.

Troiano said tax relief will come in the form of the high-rise hotels, which are expected to yield $8 billion worth of ratables in the next several years.

Brannen disputed the effect the new construction would have, but Troiano said he was not prepared to make budget cuts that would hamper city services.

“I'm not going to cut half of our work force to a point we don't have coverage,” he said.

Another resident asked about the poor condition of the Boardwalk, and Troiano said the famous boards would be undergoing a major renovation starting this fall.

“The Boardwalk is in deplorable condition,” he said.

Troiano said a select Brazilian hardwood, grown in tree farms as opposed to the rainforest, was going to be used to build a Boardwalk that would last and require less maintenance similar to Atlantic City's Boardwalk.

Troiano said vehicle traffic on the Boardwalk is behind much of the wear and tear. The Boardwalk has a weight limit of 5,000 pounds, but drivers with vehicles over that weight often try to make their way up the boards.

“We've had boards snap and buckle under the weight,” he said.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

North Wildwood Centennial

N. Wildwood history put to paper
From Press of Atlantic City staff reports
Published: Friday, April 28, 2006
Updated: Friday, April 28, 2006

NORTH WILDWOOD — No more wondering what happened when.

The city's history, all 100 years of it, has now been placed in a book in honor of North Wildwood's centennial celebration.

Jacob Schaad Jr., the city's public relations coordinator, and Robert J. Scully, curator of the Wildwood Historical Society, worked together along with longtime resident Anna M. Vinci to put the town's story down on paper.

Although it has been called the first comprehensive book on the resort, Scully noted there is more to be written.

“I call it bits and pieces of North Wildwood,” Scully said as copies of the book were handed out at Margaret Mace Elementary School Thursday.

He joked that would give the town's next generation plenty to write about in 50 years for the next big town anniversary.

North Wildwood gained its name May 16, 1906, after many years of being known as Anglesea.

Schaad said news of the name change, however, didn't reach the state government for another six years, so the town could celebrate a second centennial a few years from now.

Copies of the book are being sold for $5 to support the centennial celebration, which will include a parade and townwide picnic in May.

They can be purchased at City Hall, the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse and at the city's annual Beach Writers Conference in June.

Drinks Anyone?

Morey's water park closer to alcohol OK
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Friday, April 28, 2006
Updated: Friday, April 28, 2006

NORTH WILDWOOD — Some members of the Planning Board were skeptical when they first heard that Morey's Piers wanted to sell alcoholic drinks at its 25th Avenue water park.

“I thought that the Moreys may have lost their minds,” board member Ed Einhaus said.

But after learning more about the concept and seeing the plans for themselves, they changed their minds.

Einhaus said the Moreys should be applauded for their plan to bring upgraded, upscale facilities to the island.

The rest of the seven-member board agreed and voted unanimously Wednesday night to recommend a new city ordinance that would permit the sale of alcoholic beverages at the water park.

The recommendation, which will be forwarded to City Council for a final vote in mid-May, came after board members expressed their support and audience members expressed their opposition to, or concerns about, the city's move to revamp its ordinances for the Morey's project.

Chairman Charles Brackett took an informal poll at the start of the meeting, and all the members said they were in support of the addition of alcoholic-drink service to the former Raging Waters park. The newly renovated park will operate under the name Ocean Oasis Water Park and Beach Club.

Board member Robert McCullion, who also sits on City Council, said he was among a number of residents who toured the park Wednesday afternoon. He said the tour cleared up a lot of his concerns.

On the tour, visitors were taken around the existing park and shown the new features that are still being installed. They include private cabanas surrounding a fire pit, a swim-up bar, a massage area with a nearby cafe complete with hammocks and an elevated dining area tentatively known as the Bitter End.

Geoff Rogers, operations director, said drinks will be available through waitress service and those with the proper identification will be given a wristband to indicate they can drink alcohol.

Only beer, wine and tropical drinks will be served, and they will come in colored cups to distinguish them from non-alcoholic beverages.

Entry to each area where alcohol will be served will be controlled with those color-coded features, and people will monitor access to the alcohol service areas.

“You can get to every ride without entering an alcoholic service area,” Rodgers said.

Board member Bill Green also took the tour, and he said if Morey's operates the water park as professionally as the tour was run, there should be few problems.

Brackett was similarly impressed. “What they propose to do is a lot more than I expected,” Brackett said.

Planner Stuart Wiser said the ordinance was in keeping with the master plan and the effort to enhance the city's economy.

There was some debate about the wording in a section of the ordinance, but the board voted to send it on to council and suggest that the section referring to restaurants and water parks be amended.

While the board was satisfied, audience member Paul DiFilippo said the city should be careful about changing its zoning and adhering to its master plan.

“Are we going to have a new zone every time somebody wants to come in and do something?” Paul DiFilippo asked.

Resident Jim Koch said the pier should operate a full-service restaurant as was planned several years ago when Morey's purchased the liquor license. He said allowing alcoholic drinks at the water park was not in keeping with the city's regulations.

“You're breaking your own laws,” Koch said.

Don Martin, a former city councilman, said he strongly opposed the plan, in particular the elevated area that would be open to both water park customers and non-water park customers.

Once patrons leave the bar, Martin said, it becomes the city's problem and, in turn, the taxpayers' problem.

And Martin said the city should have had a site plan before work began. “These guys have already built this thing,” Martin said.

Planner Clark Doran, representing Morey's Piers, said the company showed its plans to the city's zoning official and most of the work involved decorating existing structures.

He noted that at least 120 water parks in about 30 states serve alcohol.

The issue is expected to be heard by City Council at its May 16 meeting.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Doo Wop

Doo-wop museum in Wildwood due this summer
From Press of Atlantic City staff reports
Published: Saturday, April 22, 2006
Updated: Saturday, April 22, 2006

WILDWOOD — The sky was overcast and drops of rain were starting to appear Friday, but Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. could see brighter days ahead.

Standing before a crowd of doo-wop enthusiasts, Troiano said he could picture a summer night under the stars, 80 degree weather and music lovers enjoying a concert in the town's new band shell/amphitheater.

His words kicked off a groundbreaking ceremony for the band shell and doo-wop museum planned for Fox Park on Ocean Avenue.

The band shell and museum will be housed in the steel structure of what was once the Surfside Restaurant, a popular eatery built in 1960 and known for its pastel colors and angular rooflines, a doo-wop signature.

The restaurant was dismantled in 2002 and its steel frame was stored in a warehouse until the Doo Wop Preservation League could find a way to bring it back to life.

Now, the it will be resurrected as a doo-wop museum complete with an open amphitheater and an adjacent “doo-wop garden” made up of the island's classic neon signs.

On Friday, Troiano credited the Byrne Fund for Wildwood Inc. for donating about $425,000 to the project and he thanked the Fox family for the park, which has been here for decades.

Betty Fox, daughter-in-law of the park's namesake, Edward Z. Fox, was thrilled, particularly about the prospect of concerts being held in the park.

The Surfside also was part of her family's history, she said.

“My daughter, Susan, worked there when she was in college. She will be thrilled about this,” Fox said.

Troiano, said the recreation spot would be a place for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.

He also recognized preservation league founder Jack Morey for working to preserve the island's collection of 1950s and 1960s motels and other buildings known for their neon signs, kidney-shaped pools, jutting roofs and exotic themes.

“You saw what a lot of people didn't see,” Troiano said. “It is definitely worth saving.”

And on that note Troiano had to thank neighboring Wildwood Crest, the former home of the Surfside.

“Thanks Wildwood Crest for allowing us to steal their building,” he joked.

Construction is expected to begin in two weeks and Troiano said the museum and amphitheater could be ready for use by the Fourth of July.

Condo Fix

Judge puts Wildwoods condo fix in local hands
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Saturday, April 22, 2006
Updated: Saturday, April 22, 2006

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — The Joint Construction Office of the Wildwoods received a green light Friday to find solutions to the construction troubles that have plagued almost 500 condominium units in the Wildwoods.

Superior Court Judge Steven Perskie said he was remanding the issues to JCOW, meaning that office will determine how to resolve the fire-safety and construction problems.

A state audit found 79 properties with about 500 units should have been evaluated as R-2 residential properties, which are required to meet certain standards regarding fire-wall separation, fire-suppression systems and other code standards. Instead, the properties were evaluated using classification and code requirements for a less stringent R-3 design.

The state said the construction of those properties was not properly reviewed by the developers, architects or JCOW.

The result was that permits were issued, inspections were made and certificates of occupancy were issued even though the buildings did not comply with local building codes to varying degrees.

Perskie said some of the condominium associations are prepared to make a deal to fix the problems, but the concern is whether the state Department of Community Affairs, or DCA, will step in and say that JCOW's solutions are unacceptable.

State Deputy Attorney General Julie Cavanaugh said the DCA has the ability to monitor what is being done, but she said the state has confidence in island construction official Mario Zaccaria and will not interfere with his decisions.

“The DCA has no intentions of second guessing the judgment of Mr. Zaccaria,” Cavanaugh said.

She said the DCA will answer any questions related to construction or the materials used, but the resolution is in JCOW's hands.

Perskie said it is now up to JCOW to make whatever deals it is going to make with the various condominium associations, builders and architects involved.

Attorney Glenn P. Callahan, representing JCOW, said now that the DCA has made it clear that Zaccaria and JCOW have jurisdiction, they can focus on the solutions.

“Every building will be made code-compliant,” Perskie added.

Once the decision is made on how to fix each building, the issue of who pays can be decided, Perskie said.

Attorney Michael Hiene, representing condominium owner William Morelli, also spoke. He said his client, who owns a unit at Schooner Bay Condominiums, said there are a number of very serious code deficiencies and he asked that JCOW be left to do its job.

Fifteen of the 16 owners in Schooner Bay agreed to a solution that involved the use of a spray-on fire retardant in the interior, but Morelli opposed the idea.

Since then, the DCA has said it does not approve of the product, called No Burn, but Callahan said other products that do the same job are available.

Claire Herm, president of the Schooner Bay Condominium Association, said she is happy with the judge's decision and she hopes the resolution to Schooner Bay's code violations can now be completed.

“It is just time to get it fixed,” Herm said, adding, “If Morelli doesn't like it, go live somewhere else.”

Callahan said he has met with 15 groups of condo owners, architects and builders in the past two weeks and at least six of those are ready to be taken off the list of problem buildings.

Work on at least one of the affected condominium buildings is expected to begin Monday, he said.

Perskie said Callahan should file a new complaint by May 31 naming any buildings where problems still remain so the court can then address those issues.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Bad News for Condo Owners

More bad news for condo owners with violation notices
e-published04/04/2006
Wildwood Leader

WILDWOOD – Condo owners who received notices of violation from the Joint Construction Office (JCOW) in February will not be able to rent their properties until the issues are resolved. Condo owner Eric Satterthwaite told The Wildwood Leader that he bought a condominium on Lincoln Avenue in September and planned to rent the property to help pay the mortgage. When he applied for a mercantile license last month, city solicitor Marc Karavan told him that he would not be able to obtain the license or rent his property until the code issues are resolved, Satterwaite said.

City clerk Chris Wood verified that the city will soon be notifying 14 property owners that the mercantile licenses they received earlier this year are being revoked until the life safety issues are resolved. Twenty-one other condo owners who have applied for licenses in the past will also receive notice that they cannot rent their properties. Seventy-nine buildings in Wildwood and North Wildwood were included on the initial list of properties identified by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) as being in violation. About 500 individual units are affected.

According to Satterthwaite, Karavan told him that issuing the licenses would be “ethically, legally and morally wrong.”

“There is nothing I can do until the building comes off the list,” Satterthwaite said.

A spokesperson in North Wildwood’s clerk’s office said last week that they had no way of knowing what properties were on the violation list when owners file for licenses to rent their condos. The Wildwood Leader was unable to contact the city of North Wildwood by our Tuesday deadline.

Log on to www.TheWildwoodLeader.com for more breaking news on the story.

-- Maureen L. Cawley

Bayview Condos

Board rejects Bayview condos
e-published04/07/2006
Wildwood Leader

By Bill Barlow
Staff Writer


LOWER TOWNSHIP – After a second lengthy meeting devoted entirely to one application, the township zoning board rejected a plan by a 5-2 vote to put a 24-unit condominium project at 8100 Bayview Drive in Diamond Beach, the site of the current Bayview Inn.
Board members made clear at the Thursday, April 6 meeting that they would have been willing to grant a use variance to allow a residential development at the property, which is zoned for business. But while two board members supported the proposal, most indicated the project was just too big for the site.

The proposal called for four buildings with six units in each, including two townhouses and four apartments. As proposed, the buildings needed a height variance and other variances.

The application was opposed by neighbors and the borough of Wildwood Crest, which almost surrounds the property, part of which overlooks Sunset Lake. The property is connected to the Diamond Beach section of the township by a narrow stretch of land, although the Crest municipal boundary actually separates the property from Bayview Drive. Access to the land is allowed through an existing easement from that borough.
Frank Corrado, an attorney representing developers JWR Construction, argued that the unique placement of the property dictated some details of the plan. Also, he said, it only makes sense for the property to be zoned residential, given the fact that it is surrounded by residential uses.

He went on to say the proposed project would be a better fit for the neighborhood than the exiting use as a bar and restaurant. Plans called for the restaurant to be demolished if the residential use was approved, but indications were that it would remain open through the summer in any case.

Corrado said after the meeting that he was not sure what his clients would do in light of the rejection.

Doreen Corino, an attorney representing Wildwood Crest, and Jeffrey Barnes, a lawyer hired by a neighbor of the restaurant, spoke against the application.
Corino said the neighbors had no concerns about the Bayview, and did not want to see the proposed plans built.

Plans were also dependent upon access to the county sewer system through the Crest, using the same pipe the restaurant now uses. Crest officials plan to block that use, which Corrado indicated would likely end up in court.

While opponents of the plan cited density, two board members said that compared to what has already been built across the street in the Crest, the proposed project left a lot of room. They said in some areas of the Crest, a person could not stretch out his arms between the houses.

The application was heard at the March meeting, dominating that agenda because of the lengthy testimony. This month, the application was the first on the agenda, with numerous applications set to follow. After 10:30 p.m., however, the board indicated it would not hear any other applications that night, either

Happy Birthday North Wildwood

NORTH WILDWOOD TAKES THE CAKE
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Friday, April 14, 2006
Updated: Friday, April 14, 2006

NORTH WILDWOOD — Talk about a pound cake.

Weighing anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 pounds, the city's centennial birthday cake would be a challenge for even the heartiest appetite.

(Of course, since it's main ingredient is wood, it would be a challenge for really anyone except a very hungry termite.)

But edible or not, the cake, now sitting at the base of the Route 147 bridge that leads into town, is a fitting tribute for the grand celebration the city has planned to mark the day.

The town, formerly known as Anglesea, assumed the name North Wildwood on May 16, 1906.

North Wildwood residents Charlie Kochensky and Rodrigo Velasquez “baked” the towering cake in the course of several months.

Kochensky, a contractor and longtime mummer, was used to building just about anything for the annual mummer's events in Philadelphia, so why not a giant cake.

“We take on all kinds of crazy things and build them,” Kochensky said.

Some of his work includes a riverboat for this year's New Year's Day parade, mountains and a living flower garden all built for Philadelphia's lively mummers parades.

His wife, knowing her husband's building talent for the unusual, volunteered him for the cake project.

“We took a piece of paper and drew a giant circle on it. Then another and another,” Kochensky said.

The red, white and blue cake complete with glitter — a “mummer's touch” —stands 12 feet tall and has a 15-foot diameter at the base, he said.

And unlike traditional cakes, this one will not crumble.

Kochensky joked that the finished product, made of wood planks and plywood decks, is sturdy enough to hold all 270 pounds of him.

“It's built to last,” he said.

Now, Kochensky is on to his next project — a smaller version of the cake for City Hall.

“I just hope they have a good celebration,” he said.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

No Rentals Allowed Yet in Wildwood Condos

Condo rentals in Wildwoods still on hold
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Friday, April 14, 2006
Updated: Friday, April 14, 2006

WILDWOOD — Several condominium owners hoping to rent out their properties with the blessing of the local government are going to have to wait a little longer.

The state Department of Community Affairs, or DCA, named 153 units in Wildwood as having construction problems related to fire safety, design or construction, along with more than 200 units in North Wildwood and a few in Wildwood Crest.

While the state has told local officials those buildings are not necessarily unsafe, the clerk's office here is not issuing mercantile licenses to owners wishing to rent out their units until it receives formal notice that the problems have been resolved by the state and/or the Joint Construction Office of the Wildwoods, or JCOW.

Affected Wildwood property owners who already have mercantile licenses will receive letters from the city stating that the mercantile licenses are suspended “until written proof has been provided by the DCA and JCOW that the violations have been removed, and that the premises is safe for occupancy.”

Those without mercantile licenses will not be issued new ones until those same conditions are met.

City Solicitor Marcus Karavan said Thursday that the city is considering a modification to that stance, but as of Thursday nothing had changed.

In neighboring North Wildwood, City Administrator Ray Townsend said his city is in limbo and waiting for a solution to allow the licenses to be issued.

Townsend said a compromise could involve condo owners agreeing to inform real estate agents and renters of their property's status before a mercantile license is issued to them.

They could be given a letter from the state explaining the situation, he said.

Wildwood Crest Borough Clerk Kevin Yecco said the town has only one property affected by the mercantile-license issue. That license is also on hold until borough solicitor Doreen Corino hears from the DCA.

Meanwhile, Glenn P. Callahan, attorney for JCOW, said he met this week with seven condominium associations, their architects, builders and others to come up with solutions for some of the affected properties.

A handful, he said, can actually be removed from the list of problem properties by providing documentation about how they were built as opposed to pre-construction plans.

“We have some built properly, but not according to the initial plans,” Callahan said.

In other cases, Callahan still expects a quick resolution for many of the buildings that are in need of such things as an additional layer of interior sheet rock, automatic door closers, or fire-rated boards on their outdoor decks to bring them up to code.

“The ultimate way to deal with the mercantile issue is to get them off the list,” Callahan said.

A hearing next Friday may speed up that process when a judge will be asked to determine who gets to decide the final resolution for each property, JCOW or the DCA.

“The good news is we're pressing toward resolution,” Callahan said.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Taxpayers Suing

Taxpayers group sues to overturn North Wildwood revaluation
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Friday, April 14, 2006
Updated: Friday, April 14, 2006

NORTH WILDWOOD — A lawsuit has been filed in state tax court asking that the city's 2006 revaluation be thrown out.

The suit, filed by Alexander and Margaret Schernecke on behalf of the Wildwood Taxpayers Association, charges that the revaluation was riddled with errors resulting in “violations of the taxpayer's constitutional right to be taxed fairly and equitably under New Jersey law.”

Tyler Technologies/CLT
Division performed the revaluation as it has for several other Cape May County communities.

The Scherneckes are among a group of Philadelphia residents who also own homes in North Wildwood and who started to organize after property owners learned of their new home values, which increased two, three, four or more times their previous values.

Since owners were mailed notices at the end of 2005, the group has drawn about 300 people to each of several meetings designed to challenge the results of the revaluation.

Before the revaluation, the entire city was valued at $794.9 million, and after the revaluation, the town is now said to be worth $3.3 billion.

The suit was filed against the city, tax assessor Joseph Gallagher, the Cape May County Board of Taxation, Tyler Technologies Inc./CLT Division and the state's director of the Division of Taxation.

According to the lawsuit, their collective failure to follow procedure “resulted in a loss of the substantive and procedural due process, and violations of the uniformity clause of the Constitution to the detriment of the taxpayers.”

The revaluation “resulted in grossly overvalued, inequitable and inconsistent valuations throughout the city of North Wildwood,” the lawsuit contends.

The suit claims that the process involved “numerous mistakes, omissions, classification errors, or inclusion of business value or personal property” that tainted the revaluation process.

Montclair-based attorney Philip J. Giannuario, representing the Scherneckes and the taxpayers group, said such lawsuits are rare, but he expects that as the case moves forward it will uncover substantive errors in the revaluation.

He is now waiting for a response from the parties named in the suit.

Mark Seibert, a senior project supervisor for Tyler Technologies/CLT Division, said the company is consulting its attorneys and has no comment at this time.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Ongoing Condo Problems

Condo rentals in Wildwoods still on hold
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Friday, April 14, 2006
Updated: Friday, April 14, 2006

WILDWOOD — Several condominium owners hoping to rent out their properties with the blessing of the local government are going to have to wait a little longer.

The state Department of Community Affairs, or DCA, named 153 units in Wildwood as having construction problems related to fire safety, design or construction, along with more than 200 units in North Wildwood and a few in Wildwood Crest.

While the state has told local officials those buildings are not necessarily unsafe, the clerk's office here is not issuing mercantile licenses to owners wishing to rent out their units until it receives formal notice that the problems have been resolved by the state and/or the Joint Construction Office of the Wildwoods, or JCOW.

Affected Wildwood property owners who already have mercantile licenses will receive letters from the city stating that the mercantile licenses are suspended “until written proof has been provided by the DCA and JCOW that the violations have been removed, and that the premises is safe for occupancy.”

Those without mercantile licenses will not be issued new ones until those same conditions are met.

City Solicitor Marcus Karavan said Thursday that the city is considering a modification to that stance, but as of Thursday nothing had changed.

In neighboring North Wildwood, City Administrator Ray Townsend said his city is in limbo and waiting for a solution to allow the licenses to be issued.

Townsend said a compromise could involve condo owners agreeing to inform real estate agents and renters of their property's status before a mercantile license is issued to them.

They could be given a letter from the state explaining the situation, he said.

Wildwood Crest Borough Clerk Kevin Yecco said the town has only one property affected by the mercantile-license issue. That license is also on hold until borough solicitor Doreen Corino hears from the DCA.

Meanwhile, Glenn P. Callahan, attorney for JCOW, said he met this week with seven condominium associations, their architects, builders and others to come up with solutions for some of the affected properties.

A handful, he said, can actually be removed from the list of problem properties by providing documentation about how they were built as opposed to pre-construction plans.

“We have some built properly, but not according to the initial plans,” Callahan said.

In other cases, Callahan still expects a quick resolution for many of the buildings that are in need of such things as an additional layer of interior sheet rock, automatic door closers, or fire-rated boards on their outdoor decks to bring them up to code.

“The ultimate way to deal with the mercantile issue is to get them off the list,” Callahan said.

A hearing next Friday may speed up that process when a judge will be asked to determine who gets to decide the final resolution for each property, JCOW or the DCA.

“The good news is we're pressing toward resolution,” Callahan said.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:
TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Wildwood Condo Problem

Wildwood condo fix no good, state says
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Saturday, April 8, 2006
Updated: Saturday, April 8, 2006

WILDWOOD —The state has rejected a plan to use a chemical fire retardant to resolve the ongoing problem of several condominiums that were not built to code.

The Joint Construction Office of the Wildwoods, or JCOW, had proposed using a product called No-Burn Plus to replace a party wall, which is used to delay the spread of fire and delay a structural collapse, according to a March 31 letter from the state Department of Community Affairs.

The letter was sent to attorney Glenn P. Callahan, who represents the JCOW.

In the letter, Gerald E. Grayce, a supervisor of investigations, wrote that no information has been provided to indicate No-Burn Plus meets fire-exposure standards.

“Documentation from No-Burn Plus indicates exposed applications require reapplication every 10 to 15 years. No such estimate has been provided for applications in unexposed areas. No-Burn Plus believes it MAY last longer,” Grayce wrote.

He continued: “It is my opinion that this product is unacceptable for this situation.”

Grayce then asked whether the possible use of an additional layer of drywall had been considered.

The letter comes as a disappointment to condominium owner Clare Herm, one of 15 residents of the Schooner Bay Condominiums on West Hand Avenue where No-Burn had been offered as a solution.

“We're hopeful they will come up with another solution very quickly,” Herm said Friday.

Callahan had said previously that in Schooner Bay's case , No Burn would be sprayed into the rafters to bring the building's fire-suppression ratings up to code and a layer of fire-rated sheet rock would be added to meet fire-separation standards between the units.

Now, Schooner Bay needs an alternative, something resident William Morelli said didn't surprise him.

Morelli is the lone Schooner Bay owner who did not support the plan to use No-Burn.

“You don't put a Band-Aid on a laceration,” Morelli said.

Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr., who is one of two of the city's JCOW representatives, said he wants the state to be straightforward and offer solutions to get the matter resolved.

About 500 units in 79 buildings were built according to the wrong code, and according to a lawsuit filed by JCOW, the mistake is shared by the buildings' designers, developers and JCOW.

Troiano said Callahan is scheduled to meet, starting Monday, with representatives of the various buildings to find solutions to the problem.

Meanwhile, the city is looking at how owners can still rent their condominiums this summer. The city is not currently issuing certificates of occupancy or mercantile licenses for that purpose.

Cherry Hill resident Eric Satterthwaite said he is among the owners who need to rent their properties in the summer.

“I have to rent to offset my mortgage,” Satterthwaite said Friday.

He is concerned about finding a way to fix the six-unit building his unit is in before June 23, the day the first of his renters is scheduled to arrive.

When the unit is not being rented, it serves as a get-away for Satterthwaite, his wife and two children.

Satterthwite said there has been talk of finding a way to allow the units affected to be rented, but he worries about the safety of his renters and his liability should something happen.

“Shy of fixing the building, there's not a lot I can do,” he said.


To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com

Doo-Wop League

Doo Wop League wants change in CAFRA rules
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Tuesday, April 4, 2006
Updated: Tuesday, April 4, 2006

WILDWOOD — The Doo Wop Preservation League hopes to convince the state that the Wildwoods need their own rules to encourage preservation of the island's aging doo-wop motels.

Architect Richard Stokes, a league member, suggested special Coastal Area Facilities Review Act, or CAFRA, rules should be created to make expansion and renovation of existing doo-wop buildings financially feasible; otherwise owners might sell or see their properties turned into condominiums.

The new rules would also support the development of new properties with doo-wop architectural features.

League President Dan MacElrevey said Monday that the league is asking the island's mayors to meet and reach agreement on what needs to be included in the rules, then the island's municipalities can propose the changes to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

He compared them to the so-called Atlantic City rules that permitted the development of that city's high-rise casinos.

In particular, the league wants existing motels to require only one parking space per unit to allow for expansion on properties of limited size instead of two spaces per unit.

The league proposes reducing the on-site parking requirement through a program that would instead allow owners to receive credits for contributions to a parking fund and for doo-wop design features.

The Greater Wildwoods Hotel Motel Association has proposed similar rules to encourage hotel renovation and construction.

Jack Morey, of the preservation league, said he is particularly concerned that the state encourage “unique, playful ‘Wildwood' architecture” in both the buildings and their signs.

Morey said the small motels and the new high-rises planned in Wildwood can co-exist and at the same time maintain the island's doo-wop flavor.

“The world has lots of different types of consumers. Big hotels, little hotels — there's a market for all if they're good ones,” Morey said.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com