Cape May Gazette - Aug. 26, 2010
Great Service, Nice People & Environmentally Safe Solvent!
• Meticulous Shirt Service • Garment Storage • Drapes • Bedspreads • Gown Preservations • Alterations • Pick Up & Delivery • Tuxedo Rentals • Large Coin Laundry • Drop Off Laundry
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE • 411
Rt. 9 North (Next to TD Bank)
\$1.00
on any dry cleaning order totaling \$5.00 to \$9.99
OFF
\$2.00
on any dry cleaning order totaling \$10.00 or more
OFF
465-4101 •
OPEN 7 DAYS
www.modelcleanersonline.com
COUPON MUST BE PRESENTED WITH INCOMING ORDER AT YOUR SPONSORING DRYCLEANER EXPIRES 12/31/10.
(Not redeemable with any other coupon or promotion)
AUGUST 26, 2010 • VOL. 15, NO. 40
Plan could change state room tax
By
CAROLE MATTESSICH
Staff Writer
CAPE MAY –
Local owners of lodging establishments in Cape May say relief may be in sight regarding the so-called “room tax” that compels them to charge guests a total of 14 percent in taxes on their room bills, while many owners of other types of short-term rentals – like whole houses, condos, and apartments – do not pay the tax. According to Larry Muentz and Bob Progner, both members of the Cape May Hotel, Motel and Lodging Association, relief may come in the form of a new bill introduced in the state Assembly, equalizing the amounts of taxes charged for all short-term rentals. Muentz, owner of Alexander’s Inn, and Progner, owner of the Seacrest Inn, have spent a lot of time recently talking up the bill among colleagues and local municipal and tourism groups. “This thing is starting to catch ¿re,” Muentz said Tuesday. In recent weeks, Muentz, Progner, and others have made individual presentations to the Cape May Chamber of Commerce, the county Chamber of Commerce, the Cape May City Council, and various mayors of other seaside communities. Muentz said this week that a number of the groups are coming out with resolutions supporting the bill. On Monday night, Muentz, Progner, and colleagues even met brieÀy with Gov. Chris Christie, who was appearing at a fundraiser in Clermont. Progner said the group was “delighted” when the governor invited them to an early September meeting in Trenton to meet with Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and discuss the issue further. Cape May’s hotels, motels and B&Bs charged sales tax for many years, Muentz said in a recent interview. But during the administration of Gov. James McGreevey, legislators added a statewide 5 percent “room tax,” that went into effect Aug. 1, 2003, he said. The following year, in 2004, municipalities were given the option of continued on page 6
Beach weather
Jen Arthur
Meredith and Aidin Rupp, 13 and 4 respectively, of Diamond Beach and Haverford, Pa make the best of the cloudy weather as they run around the beach in front of their summer residence at The Grand Wednesday.
Convention Hall committee digging into the details
Limited funds will mean trimming some amenities in new hall plans
By
CAROLE MATTESSICH
Staff Writer
CAPE MAY –
For perhaps the ¿rst time, at their Wednesday, Aug. 25, meeting, members of the Convention Hall project team appeared to be struggling and somewhat frustrated with the many issues that were created when a majority of City Council voted to reduce the size of the planned hall. Architect Martin Kimmel started the meeting by reviewing the committee’s progress to date, noting that the team has been faithful to a timeline intended to ensure that the new hall will open by Memorial Day 2012. Kimmel reviewed the criteria established for the new facility by team members and his ¿rm as they considered, and chose from, six alternate conceptual schemes that Kimmel believes will meet with the \$7.5 million construction budget to complete the project. This Wednesday’s tasks, he said, were to ¿ll in some interior detail and reconcile exterior design to the smaller hall for which the committee opted at its prior meeting. Kimmel now presented an “Option 6A” rather than “6” for interior space. According to Kimmel, the newer conceptual plan “meets with certain practical realities.” The building depicted in Option 6A has three entrances into the convention hall space from a grand lobby on the side where the solarium currently is located. Among other things, this would enable the con¿guration of the large Convention Hall space into as many as three separate spaces that could be used simultaneously, Kimmel said. Mayor Ed Mahaney noted that during earlier discussions of a new facility, residents indicated a need for Àexibility to accommodate simultaneous events as well as a desire to maximize use of space in a way that will generate healthy revenues. Two retail spaces totaling approximately 2,200 square feet would be located on the promenade side of the continued on page 6
BLADE-FREE LASIK IS HERE!
Over 8,000 LASIK performed Call for free consultation Ask about our fantastic results
Dr.Michael J. Caruso
board certified ophthalmologist
EyeMax L asik Center
200 New Road, Linwood NJ 08221 609-653-2201
0% Financing
www.DoctorMichaelCaruso.com
<1>
<2>
<3>
<4>
<5>
<6>
<7>
<8>
<9>
<10>
<11>
<12>
<13>
<14>
<15>
<16>
<17>
<18>
<19>
<20>
<21>
<22>
<23>
<24>
<25>
<26>
<27>
<28>