Neighbors had requested further conditions be placed; council recommends cooperation
CAPE MAY — City Council approved the Southern Mansion’s liquor license after reviewing complaints from residents about noncompliance.
Council agreed to proceed with the current conditions and encouraged ongoing communication between the neighbors and the property owner.
City Manager Paul Dietrich said June 16 that the city plans to task code enforcement, the police department and the zoning officer to review all 28 conditions of the license.
“They’re going to make periodic and routine inspections of all facilities throughout the year so that they have a documentation [and] inspection,” Dietrich said. “The city’s going to be proactive in making sure we’re enforcing those regulations and not waiting for residents to come in at this juncture.”
Dietrich added that until recently, the Southern Mansion had had no issues with non-compliance.
Several residents spoke during the meeting June 1 about issues related to the special conditions included in the liquor license for the New Jersey Farmers Cooperative Group LLC, aka the Southern Mansion.
When the license was approved in 2022, there were multiple special conditions intended to lessen the impact on residential neighbors.
Neighbor John Lynch asked City Council to consider additonal conditions.
“The applicant feels they don’t need to provide for any other conditions, which I’m requesting of you,” Lynch said. “I feel that the residents and neighbors [are] not only entitled to them, but they deserve them based upon the 2022 resolution.”
Lynch said he met with owners Barbara and Hamilton Wilde and discussed drafting a cooperative agreement.
“We had, I thought, a great conversation,” Lynch said, adding that he was not trying to cut the city out.
Dietrich said that he, along with code enforcement and a representative from the police department, visited the property to assess compliance with the special conditions of the liquor license.
“By the time we did our inspection, some of the items that Mr. Lynch and the residents had noted were not in compliance, had been corrected and modified,” Dietrich said. “If corrections are made, we note that and that’s a positive thing. No enforcement action was taken.”
Dietrich added that there is confusion about the lighting standard, but that seeing a light does not mean it is a violation. The string lights along the building provide minimum lighting around the building for security and safety, he added.
“It’s the light trespass as it leaves the property,” he said. “It was inspected in the evening by both police and by code enforcement, and there was no light trespass.”
Additional considerations
Lynch requested three more conditions: stopping the kitchen exhaust fan from running 24/7, directing deliveries away from Corgie Street and managing the condition of the hedgerow.
Deputy Mayor Maureen McDade said she thought it was reasonable to consider deliveries on Corgie Street and the exhaust fan could potentially be a concern or condition.
Lynch added that he was provided with a central number to call the Southern Mansion to report the truck, including a description and information they can use to reach out to their delivery drivers.
Regarding the hedgerow, Lynch said it needs “some TLC.”
“It needs some mulch to go down to help control the moisture, get the fertilizer going to rejuvenate the planting,” he said.
When it comes to the hedgerow, McDade suggested working with the Hamiltons.
“To make it a condition of a liquor license, in my opinion, is a bit of a stretch for this council to take on and include it in this,” McDade said.
Solicitor Chris Gillin-Schwartz said the hedge was already incorporated as a condition. “I do see the deputy mayor’s point about we’re sort of veering into botany,” Gillin-Schwartz said. “It’s getting away from liquor, which is what this stuff is geared toward.”
Councilman Shaine Meier said the hedgerow is relevant to the license because it serves as a barrier that prevents patrons from leaving the property with alcohol, a complaint from the last meeting.
Hamilton Wilde said plans to ameliorate the hedgerow would be difficult due to the state’s drought, serious winter storms and El Niño.
“I think that hedge is probably going to look pretty rough all summer,” she said.
McDade encouraged the neighbors to work with the Wildes on the hedge-maintenance issue and to revisit it in the fall.
Councilwoman Lorraine Baldwin recommended removing dead debris in the hedge to encourage new growth, noting she understood Wilde’s concerns about the drought. Wilde said they have a contract in place for landscaping and that more landscapers will be coming out within the next week for additional cleanup.
Regarding the noise issue, Wilde said she walked around the building with city officials and no one was able to identify the source of the noise.
“It appears the kitchen exhaust fan was unrelated to the noise because it was off for an entire week straight and the neighbors were still reporting that sound,” Wilde said. “I don’t think anything at the property was the cause of this noise, which at this point I still have not heard.”
McDade recommended that neighbors record the noise to determine its source.
Wilde also shared several memos that had been sent to staff, including reminders about the Southern Mansion’s 100 percent smoke-free property policy and about turning off the kitchen hood exhaust fan.
“We’ve been found to be in compliance with the conditions on the license,” Wilde said. “We intend to remain in compliance with those conditions. We’re not particularly open to adding any additional conditions because we feel that we’ve sufficiently addressed them.”
Wilde added that to continue addressing the conditions, she encouraged open communication with the neighbors.
“It’s important to remember that some of these conditions are unrelated to the liquor license, some of them are more so attempts to control non-liquor related business operations of my landlord, the Southern Mansion,” she said.
Councilman Steve Bodnar thanked Lynch for representing the residents of Corgie Street and for the opportunity to continue positive dialogue between the neighbors and the business.
Mayor Zack Mullock recused himself from the discussion and vote, due to living within 200 feet of the Southern Mansion.
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
