Jetty Motel Decision Hangs Until ’08

CAPE MAY — Four hours of testimony from engineers and architect for a proposed Jetty Motel at the city’s Zoning Board Dec. 6 was insufficient to determine if the project should receive two variances.
While professionals involved finished their explanations, the meeting was ended before the public, some represented by attorneys, had a chance to air their views of the project. The hearing will resume Jan. 31 at 6 p.m.
At issue: the Jetty Motel at Beach and Second avenues is located in two zones, commercial, and residential.
One year ago, about a dozen residents were in attendance at a planning board meeting prepared to voice objections to a proposed demolition and replacement of the motel, but the application was tabled.
City council passed an ordinance in September 2006 changing six properties that were in two zones to one zone including the Jetty Motel.
However, homeowners within 200 feet of the property were not given written notice, negating the ordinance causing project principals, Emmanuel DeMutis and Cape Jetty LLC. to apply to the zoning board for a use variance.
At the Dec. 6 meeting, attorney for the project Sal Perillo, said the motel project was redesigned to deal with a split zone.
The first design of a new Jetty Motel brought before the planning board last year had more rooms and all portions of the building that would have extended into the residential zone portion of the property were eliminated.
Remaining in the residential portion, a swimming pool, a patio, a landscaped “green area” and four parking spaces.
That original plan for a new motel was rejected for a CAFRA permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection, said Perillo.
Plans have been resubmitted to the DEP.
The proposed plan calls for the current 35-unit motel to be demolished. The replacement would have 47 rooms, with 35 two-bedroom units and 12 one-bedroom units for a total of 82 bedrooms.
Project engineer, Vince Orlando, of Engineering Design Associates of Ocean View, said entrances to the new motel would be located on Second Avenue with no curb cuts on Beach Avenue.
By eliminating parking space on the Beach Avenue side of the motel, up to 14 parking spaces could be created along the street by the city.
The developer is proposing 31 stacked parking spaces, which would require a variance. Stacked parking involves parking vehicles in close quarters with cars often blocking each other.
The city only permits stacked parking at Victorian hotels such as Congress Hall and the Inn of Cape May.
DeMutis said he would provide a valet parking attendant. Most of the parking would be located under the motel building.
Orlando said the stacked parking spaces would be assigned to the two-bedroom units. He said stacked parking would provide more open space on the property
Dave Shropshire, project traffic engineer, said the new motel would increase traffic in peak hours by 10 to 11 vehicles. He said those figures were an estimate since he did not conduct an actual traffic count at the hotel.
Attorney Jeff April, representing Dr. Michael O’Connor who lives within 200-feet of the motel, asked if what was proposed was actually a motel or a town houses, noting the units would have a dining room, kitchen and living room.
Shropshire said it would be a motel.
April said the possible 14 on-street parking spaces would quickly be lost to beachgoers. Shropshire said the 94 on-site parking spaces would be more than adequate.
Architect for the project, Stephen Fenwick, said his design featured a brick base, clapboard siding, towers on the corners and copper roofs over bell-shaped towers. The hotel would be 40 feet high with a decorative cupola extending an additional 20-feet over the roof line.
The lobby and entrance to the parking area would be located on Second Avenue, he said. The hotel would be built in a “U” shape with the center of the building open to the sky like an atrium, said Fenwick. He said the units would have living space designed for families.
Units will have a deck, many with ocean views.
Perillo said suites were becoming the “norm” for hotels rather than small 500-square foot rooms of the past with a kitchenette and bathroom.
DeMutis said his family has been in the hotel business since 1967 operating the Mainstay Inn and French Creek Inn in Phoenixville, Pa. and the Madison Avenue Beach Club, the former Blue Amber Motel here. He said he purchased the Jetty Motel as a “redevelopment project,” with the intention of operating it.
In answer to a question from Zoning Board Chairman Arnold Pittman as to whether he may convert the units into condos, DeMutis said, “condominiums are a form of ownership not a form of use or operation.” He said when his group “condominiums a hotel,” it continues to operate as a hotel with full services
Perillo said most new hotels such as Marriot, Hilton and Double Tree are condominium hotels.
“The condominium ownership is invisible to the guest because they look like, act like and are like any other hotel you’ve ever staying in.” he said.
DeMutis said he had the choice of tearing down the Jetty Motel and building 15 townhouses on the site or adding onto the existing motel but he chose to build a new hotel.
Perillo said condo hotels are not sold as real estate but sold like securities as investments.
Orlando said if the board does not grant a variance for the residential portion of the property, the only alternative would be to subdivide a portion of the land off Second Avenue and build a single-family house next to the hotel.
“If I put a house in that immediate area, I think that has far greater detrimental on the neighborhood looking at views and open space,” he said.
Board member Pete Iurato suggested DeMutis design the project to meet the existing property.