WILDWOOD CREST – The borough plans to withdraw from the Five Mile Dune project, citing concerns about shrinking beach width, lack of funding guarantees and potential financial burdens on taxpayers.
The borough commissioners, at their Feb. 19 meeting, agreed to put a resolution on the agenda of their next meeting, March 12, formally withdrawing from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/state Department of Environmental Protection project.
Mayor Don Cabrera said that after reviewing survey data and discussions with the DEP, borough officials concluded that the project, which would use sand removed from parts of Crest and Wildwood beaches to create a dune spanning the Wildwoods’ oceanfront, “would no doubt significantly shrink our beach.”
He said the Crest has a dune system, beaches that are 1,000 to 1,500 feet wide, and that the municipality has spent a significant amount of money on Americans With Disabilities Act access.
“The public enjoys the beach exactly the way that it is right now,” Cabrera said.
Proposed design for the dune that would run the length of the Five Mile Island. File graphic
He said the DEP told the borough that it would need to renourish the beaches every four years, and funding would come through Congress.
“If there’s no money allocated by Congress, then there’s no money available to renourish the beach, which in the end will come back to our taxpayers,” Cabrera said.
“Anything without any formal guarantees by the DEP or the Army Corps I don’t think works for this municipality. I think it would be risky for us to move forward on a project without those guarantees.”
Commissioner Joseph Franco said he’s fully against the project, citing negative correspondence from residents.
“I haven’t met anyone that’s in favor of it, and I agree with them,” he said.
“I’m in favor of not moving forward with it,” said Commissioner Joseph Schiff, adding that he was concerned about retaliatory actions by the DEP.
“For every action, there’s a reaction, and I’m concerned about what that reaction will be for our community,” he said, “but at this point right now I’m 100% with my fellow commissioners that we need to just say no.”
In response to Schiff’s comments about retaliatory actions, Cabrera said, “As long as I’ve been here we’ve always been great partners with the DEP, so I’m hoping that wouldn’t be the case.”
“Just something to be aware of,” Schiff replied.
Cabrera noted that the Crest will have to deal with the sloping of the back beaches and any upgrades to the fishing pier on its own as a condition of withdrawing from the project.
