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Peapack and Gladstone council debates 'film‑friendly' ordinance and short‑term rental rules
Summary
Council members discussed a draft 'spot' filming ordinance to streamline permits and collect daily fees, and reviewed a draft short‑term rental ordinance. Concerns included resident disruption, a 'film‑ready' certification that could limit local controls, and state limits on applying a 3% tax to platform‑managed rentals.
A council member presented a draft spot‑filming ordinance modeled on neighboring towns to simplify permitting, allow daily filming fees and reduce reliance on special‑use permits. Proponents said the ordinance could attract more work and modest revenue: "We could set fees ... and our police could be paid for overtime," the sponsor said.
Several council members pushed back on language that would accept the Film‑Ready New Jersey certification as a requirement. One councilor and attendees warned that the certification could restrict the borough’s ability to limit consecutive filming days (the draft cited a clause that film‑ready localities "may not restrict the number of consecutive days nor the total days per calendar year" for a single location). A council member noted the practical control the borough currently uses at sensitive locations (for example, setting generator decibel limits and start times at Blairsdale), and argued that a blanket ordinance could remove property‑specific protections that had resolved past neighbor complaints.
On short‑term rentals (STRs), the council reviewed a draft that would register and regulate home rentals, consider a 3% tax where state law permits and impose safety checks and a three‑strike enforcement rule for violations. The borough clerk and attorney cautioned that state guidance limits the 3% local tax to rentals managed by online platforms or professional managers; privately managed rentals (fewer than three properties) may not be subject to that tax. Councilors asked the attorney and administrators to evaluate sample ordinances from Princeton and Burnsville and return with a tailored draft that preserves local control and prevents circumvention of the borough’s rental compliance rules.
No final ordinance was adopted at the meeting; both the spot‑filming and short‑term rental drafts were referred back to staff and counsel for revision and legal review.
