Ocean City Makes Final Decision on Mechanical Parking Lifts

Ocean City, NJ -- Following one final amendment, Ocean City Council unanimously approved a proposed ordinance to eliminate mechanical parking lifts in the hospitality zone at its meeting Thursday night at City Hall.

That last amendment called for a restriction on the height of lifts that will still be permitted in garages used in single-family or two-family homes.

The initial proposed height was 14 feet, six inches, but was increased to 15 feet on introduction at the suggestion of Councilman Peter Guinosso.

The Planning Board reviewed the ordinance and found that putting a restriction on the height wouldn’t serve the greater good of the ordinance.

Council agreed in passing the revised ordinance with a 6-0 vote. Councilman Anthony Wilson was absent.

The parking lifts in single-family and two-family homes was added to the proposed ordinance after its initial introduction on April 28.

The legislation was re-introduced on May 12, with the provision that homes located in the Drive-in Business District will be permitted to use the parking lifts, as long as the bottom of the car is completely covered to prevent leaking.

Also, power can’t be required to reach the top of the car in the event of a power outage, and lifts can’t be lowered if there is a car below it.

Parking spaces containing lifts won’t count as parking spaces for zoning purposes.

Businesses are still restricted from using the parking lifts, although City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson clarified that gas stations and body shops can still use mechanical lifts because they are essential to their business. Those are not parking lifts.

The mechanical lifts have been around for about two or three years, and satisfy a parking requirement, according to McCrosson.

However, some homeowners became hesitant to allow renters to use the lifts over safety concerns, resulting in a shortage of parking.

The ordinance eliminates the lifts as a requirement, but doesn’t 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.