To the Editor:
I am a summer resident of North Wildwood, with Naples, Fla., as my permanent residence. The recent letter sent from NJDEP (state Department of Environmental Protection) Commissioner LaTourette to Mayor Rosenello reminds the mayor that the actions taken by North Wildwood over the last few years are actionable and, as such, need to be addressed by the mayor.
The letter, while mentioning the reasons for the delays by NJDEP in addressing beach erosion, does not address the current situation and should concern us all.
It is disingenuous to say North Wildwood altered the dunes and the ‘protected area’ without cause. Back in 2017, when we lost half of the dunes from 5th to 13th avenues from Irma, there was no short-term plan from NJDEP to address the situation.
Had the City of North Wildwood not drug sand from Wildwood (at a significant cost to taxpayers) during the last three years, there would be no dune left from 2nd to 14th avenues today. Do our residents really believe that without that sand movement, the remainder of the dunes would still exist?
While we can debate the construction of the bulkhead and Seaport Pier, there is no doubt that the beach would be flat by now in 2023. Whatever dune was there when we purchased our property in 2011 would be long gone. To say that “North Wildwood” removed the dunes, as if they were going to survive nor’easter after nor’easter without adding sand is Trenton spin.
Has the commissioner or governor ever been in North Wildwood during high tide and/or a nor’easter? My guess is no. As our residents know, water routinely makes it to JFK at the 2nd Avenue point during high tides with full moon, or during significant nor’easters, despite the Army Corps rock structures at the point.
Each year it gets worse. It even went over the bulkhead between 3rd and 4th in June this year, when an unusual spring nor’easter hit the Jersey coast.
North Wildwood is now at a point where we can no longer truck sand. This probably is a blessing for the owners because we are saving money. I am not sure that the owners living on JFK would agree since they are getting closer and closer to having significant property damage.
By 2025 my guess is that there will be no dunes left below 14th Avenue and the lifeguard and medical station will be in peril.
While there may not be a great solution and mother nature is, largely, in control, the fact that the State of New Jersey has not addressed the problem for 10 years tells me, please hold the excuses, that they would rather engage in political discourse than solve the problem.
At least the mayor made an attempt, right or wrong, to address the problem. As residents and owners, I think it is imperative that we press Trenton to provide a solution well before 2025.
