Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Occasion Events Preserved Farm topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cape May County board approves Rea Farms plan for Special Occasion Events on preserved farm
Summary
The Cape May County Agricultural Development Board voted to approve Mrs. Rea’s application to hold up to 26 Special Occasion Events on portions of a preserved farm, with conditions on attendee counts, temporary tents, parking and crop rotation.
On Jan. 27, 2025, the Cape May County Agricultural Development Board voted to approve an application from Mrs. Rea to hold Special Occasion Events on portions of her preserved farm in Cape May County. The board approved up to 26 events annually, with no more than six events allowing attendance of more than 250 people.
The board’s action matters because state legislation now permits preserved farms to host Special Occasion Events, but easement holders — in this case the county board — must determine whether individual applications meet statutory and regulatory criteria. The application described a mix of weddings, lifetime milestone events and other cultural and social events, and included a site map showing the areas proposed for temporary tents, temporary parking and existing permanent parking and the farm market building.
Scott Mullen, the board’s director, introduced the application and explained that preserved-farm easement holders are charged with determining eligibility under the state law. Mrs. Rea provided the map and described the occupied area that would be used for events; she said the farm market, built in 1988, would be used for some events and that temporary tents would be used for others. The temporary tent areas shown on the map would include temporary sanitary facilities and space for vendors. Mrs. Rea told the board that temporary parking would use an existing farm road surrounding hayfields and that tent locations would be rotated so fields could return to production between events.
Bob Schumann made the motion to approve the application; Sue-Ann Wheeler seconded. The board voted in favor; Kelly Keppel recused herself from the application. The approval was a formal decision by the board at the meeting; no additional conditions or follow-up steps were specified on the record.
The board did not receive public comment on the item at the meeting. No timeline for implementation or permits beyond the board’s approval was specified during the discussion.
