City plans to comment on Zoom Thursday, in person Monday, opposing wind farm requests
OCEAN CITY – Just as Gov. Phil Murphy announced expanding offshore wind production by almost 50 percent, the city plans to speak up at public hearings affecting the resort, one on Thursday and the other on Monday, Oct. 3.
On Sept. 29, the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) is having two Zoom sessions of public hearings, one at 9 a.m. and the other at 5:30 p.m., on a petition by Ocean Wind 1 – a project seeking to put up to 98 wind turbines 15 miles off the coast of Cape May and Atlantic counties. The project is in the review phase and is one of many planned/proposed off the coast of New Jersey.
Ocean Wind is seeking easements on properties owned by Cape May County and environmental permits from the county to allow the project’s transmission lines from the offshore wind farm to connect to the site of the former BL England power generating station. Ocean Wind wants to run lines through Ocean City, under the beach and streets out to Beesleys Point in Upper Township.
On that point, as Ocean City Business Administrator George Savastano told City Council last Thursday night, the city is going to question the authority of the BPU to consider the petition, arguing New Jersey law supports referring the petition to the state Office of Administrative Law.
Savastano said the city wants Ocean Wind to disclose the cost of using alternate routes for its transmission lines because without that, the BPU cannot find that the easements the company seeks are reasonable and necessary. He also said the city will argue no decision should be rendered on the matter until the environmental impact statements for the project are completed and that the company’s presentations so far have not been credible.
The governor’s new executive order supersedes the original order directing the BPU to have 7,500 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035, instead requiring 11,000 megawatts by 2040. Ocean Wind 1 would generate 1,100 megawatts, an Ocean Wind 2 is proposed and there are numerous other projects in the works along the coast.
The city also plans to comment at an in-person public hearing at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, at the Flanders Hotel. Ocean Wind has filed a petition with the BPU for a diversion of Ocean City beach lots at the end of 35th Street, and a lot north of the Roosevelt Boulevard (34th Street) bridge, for its transmission cables. Those lands are encumbered by the state’s Green Acres restrictions.
Savastano said this is because the city refused to hold a hearing on the beach lands and because questions remain to be answered about the project.
A little more than a year ago, the New Jersey Legislature quickly passed a law giving decisions about certain utility rights of way – including for wind farm transmission lines – to the BPU rather than the community in which they are requested.
The resort protested that took away home rule. It was made clear the Legislature took the action because Ocean City officials had been vocal in their opposition to Ocean Wind.
City inspecting bank building
REGISTRATION LINKS FOR SEPT. 29 BPU HEARINGS
To comment at the morning session you must pre-register using the online form at:
https://bit.ly/NJBPU-SEP-29-AM-SPEAK
To comment at the evening session you must pre-register using the online form at:
https://bit.ly/NJBPU-SEP-29-PM-SPEAK
To just listen to the morning session go online to:
https://bit.ly/NJBPU-SEP-29-AM
To just listen to the evening session go online to:
At Thursday’s City Council meeting, contracts were approved for professionals to inspect the former Crown Bank building at the corner of Eighth Street and Asbury Avenue. The city is considering purchasing the building, with the owner now in bankruptcy proceedings.
Savastano said the administration realizes opportunities for purchasing a major building in the downtown, with a few parking lots behind it facing Central Avenue, “don’t come around often. We would regret it if we didn’t consider acquisition of the property.”
The city has been working to find a location for a new police station to replace the aging and outdated station and Municipal Court across Central Avenue between Eighth and Ninth streets.
Zoning proposals related to parking
Savastano said this fall, Mayor Jay Gillian’s administration is going to bring forward proposed amendments to the zoning laws. That would include some “clarifications and updates” and also concerns from residents addressing off-street parking.
During the summer and busy weekends year-round, parking can be at a premium for residents and visitors because of the preponderance of rentals across the island.
Savastano said because so many homes on the island don’t have basements, garage space, which is intended for off-street parking, is instead used for storage.
“We should look at changing requirements so homes have enough off-street parking for the cars they bring to the property,” he said. The ordinance now bases parking on the amount of living space in homes.
Residents have complained new construction is bringing homes that are designed with features such as extra bathrooms and structures that are garages in name only that will increase the number of vehicles at a given property.
“We want our professionals to look at this and make a recommendation on what makes sense for Ocean City,” Savastano said. He noted because so many homes are being elevated to be safer from floods, there may be the opportunity to create more parking in some areas of town.
“We will examine current parking requirements and that will lead to revisions that will lead to more and better parking on residential streets,” he said.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff