CAPE MAY — The Cape May Planning Board discussed the long-shelved Municipal Public Access Plan when it met Jan. 28.
The plan was created in 2016 by board engineer Craig R. Hurless, who said it was something the city was very proactive about doing after the state Department of Environmental Protection implemented the program.
“I prepared the original municipal public access plan. That plan has been sitting idle there ever since,” Hurless said.
The document is intended to provide the city with a comprehensive plan regarding tidal waters and shorelines in the municipal boundary.
“The reason we’re firing this plan back up is because it’s a good document,” Hurless said. “It’s related to coastal zone and management roles, and the beach management general permits that are issued to the city. It’s very important.”
Hurless presented a new plan to the board that has been updated to reflect the city’s current climate.
The access plan originates from the Public Trust Doctrine, which is a civil law created centuries ago that established the public’s right to access water sources.
According to the document, the original purpose “was to assure public access to waters for navigation, commerce and fishing.”
The doctrine has been amended to include swimming, sunbathing, fishing and other recreational activities.
“The introduction explains the history of the Public Trust Doctrine, which reminds everyone that you have the right to use the seashore,” Hurless said. “This is a plan that deals with access to tidally flowed water waves: the ocean, the Two Mile Creek and the Cape May Harbor. This plan deals with any public access.”
Hurless went through the document at the meeting and briefly explained what is in it and what it does for the city.
“This plan has an inventory of all the access points,” Hurless said. “Whether they’re physical or visual, and if they require beach badges, if there’s parking or ADA accessibility.”
Public Access Plans are subjective to local conditions and are unique to each municipality. Hurless’s plan is tailored to Cape May’s shoreline.
During its meeting Feb. 4, City Council suggested revisions to the plan before it could be adopted, recommending editing for clarity and updating outdated information.
Council approved the plan, which will now be sent to the Department of Public Works for further approval.
By JULIA DIGERONIMO/For the Star and Wave
