Category: Avalon, New Jersey- News

As of April 1st, Cape May County will participate in “single stream recycling”.  This will allow property owners and tenants to place ALL of their recycling items together in bins for pick up.

Realistically, rental properties will still need several general recycling bins to hold the items for the weekly pick up.

In Avalon and Stone Harbor, cans are picked up manually.  Therefore, size/weight restrictions for all trash containers remain in place.

Excerpt from an article posted 2/13/13 in The Middle Township Gazette (www.shorenewstoday.com)

STONE HARBOR – The borough is preparing to collect recyclables into one container later this year.

Property owners will receive a four-page brochure that details how recyclable materials can be placed into a single container.

Single-stream recycling begins April 1 in Cape May County.

The materials accepted include plastic containers; tin, steel, and aluminum cans; glass; cardboard; magazines; newspapers and other paper products.

“The goal is to improve the percentage of the waste stream dedicated towards recycling,” reads a statement from the borough. “That effort will also reduce tipping fees paid by the borough.”

A tipping fee is how much the borough pays to take garage to the landfill.

Items that cannot be placed in recycling cans include regular trash, food contaminated boxes, polystyrene packaging, window glass, paint cans, beverage cups and light bulbs. Containers must not be larger than 32 gallons.

January and February are typically slow months for settlements. We are showing/selling properties, and buyers are making commitments to settle within the next few months (currently, there are 43 properties sale pending in Avalon and Stone Harbor).

During the last 30 days, a total of 14 properties SOLD (settlement); with an overall median selling price of $964,500.

2 of the 14 were commercial spaces; 4 condo/townhouse units; and 8 single family homes.  The median selling price of the single family homes was $1,742,500.

If you would like additional information regarding market values, please let me know  ann@anndelaney.com   I appreciate your business!

The Press of Atlantic City continues to be a great source of solid, factual information regarding the new FEMA flood elevation regulations.

For example, in today’s edition, there’s an article about a meeting with Atlantic County officials and state representatives: Click here to read

An important quote from another recent article:

“The explanation stresses that the advisory maps do not affect current flood insurance rates and that any increases that property owners are seeing is related to a congressional effort to make the deeply indebted National Flood Insurance Program stronger financially and, thus, are not under the state’s control. However, when new flood insurance rate maps are finalized, likely within two years, those whose houses have base flood elevations lower than the maps require will see a substantial increase in flood insurance if they don’t raise the homes”.  To read the full article, click here

If you are on Twitter, be sure to follow Press reporters for updates:  @acpresssarah        @wjmckelvey       @steveleongello

I will re-tweet (RT) articles, and post updates here as additional information becomes available.

UPDATE: I published the post below on 12/16/12, and in the meantime, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie issued an executive order approving the new FEMA maps- therefore requiring all municipalities to follow the guidelines until further notice.  I am happy to answer your questions (to the best of my ability) regarding these changes.

FEMA recently modified the flood zone designations and building height requirements for our area. These determinations were made prior to Sandy, yet are relevant as home owners look to renovate or rebuild their low lying structures.

Prior to the changes, it was rare to see a “V” (high velocity) zone classification in Avalon or Stone Harbor (typically limited to the inlet/ocean). Now, much of the bay area falls under the “V” classification, too.

Click on the interactive FEMA Website and enter your shore property address.  The results will display the proposed flood zone and building height requirements.

Quote from The Press of Atlantic City, Sunday 12/16/12:

“While these maps were released as information only, with final maps expected sometime this summer, municipalities can adopt the data into their zoning codes, said Ryan Pietramali, risk analysis branch chief for FEMA, on Friday. That could mean homeowners whose houses suffered damage during Sandy that totaled at least 50 percent of the building’s value may be forced to rebuild to new building codes, such as raising houses and rebuilding on driven piling”.