Ocean City Council Introduces Legislation for Mechanical Parking Lifts, Electrical Wire Locations

Ocean City, NJ -- Mechanical parking lifts may soon be a thing of the past in Ocean City’s Hospitality Zone.

City Council unanimously approved a proposed ordinance on introduction to eliminate the lifts at its April 28 meeting.

The mechanical lifts have been around for about two or three years, and satisfy a parking requirement, City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson said. They were initially installed due to complaints over a lack of parking availability.

However, some homeowners have been hesitant to allow renters to use the lifts over safety concerns, resulting in a shortage of parking. The ordinance would eliminate the lifts as a requirement, but not ban them outright. Parking garage owners will need to apply for a variance from the Planning Board to have them included in any of their proposed plans.

City Council also unanimously approved a proposed ordinance on introduction that stipulates plot plans submitted with Zoning applications to show where electrical lines will be located. It is currently not included in applications, which has led to safety concerns.

Both votes were 6-0. Council Vice President Peter Madden wasn’t present for either vote.

Both public hearings and final votes are set for May 26.