City Seeks to Remove Restrictions from Seaport Pier

NORTH WILDWOOD – Never since 1921 when the 22nd Avenue fishing pier was built did it ever serve as recreational or open space, city officials said in a public hearing July 24.
The hearing was to gather comments from residents about the city’s request that the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) remove Green Acres restrictions from the pier, which holds a bar, restaurant, and members-only pool.
“I’ve lived in North Wildwood since 1941 and I never saw that pier in public use,” resident John Harkins said. “I always wanted to take a walk out on it, but it was never open to the public. I guess you had to be a member of the (fishing) club.”
The North Wildwood beach is considered a public park, so the 1.1 acres the pier sits on were “erroneously” lumped into the beach parcel, City Clerk Scott Jett said.
Although the pier was historically a privately owned fishing pier, it was acquired by the city through a tax sale in 1955. For the next few decades, the city leased it as a private fishing club, but, as the beach expanded and the pier no longer reached the water, it wasn’t useful for fishing anymore, Jett said.
In the late 1980s, the pier was rebuilt as a shopping mall Seaport Village, but it closed in 2005 and was blocked from public access until 2018, when the next lessee, BG Capital, completed construction and opened Seaport Pier.
As a commercial establishment, the pier doesn’t conform to the restrictions that it supports outdoor recreation or conservation, so it isn’t eligible for Green Acres funding, city officials said.
Despite the hearing’s purpose to gather public opinion about the Open Space amendment, homeowners attended to share their concerns about the pier.
“The artist’s rendering showed that the pier (building) was supposed to be to the left of the ramp going up 22nd Avenue, lo and behold it is directly in front of the ramp, blocking all of our oceanfront views that we saved our entire lives to get a property on that street,” Eileen Farnan said.
Not only does the restaurant on the pier block Farnan’s oceanfront view it also attracts extra traffic.
“The tractor trailers going up all day long backing up, there are children in the street trying to bike, we’re dealing with deliveries all day,” she said. “There’s trash and debris all under the Boardwalk, it looks like hell. It’s embarrassing when I have my family down.”
Mayor Patrick Rosenello responded the city plans to reconstruct 22nd Avenue at the Boardwalk and is applying for a grant to help fund it.
“This has nothing to do with this hearing but because there are so many 22nd Avenue residents here, the city is planning this winter to do a reconstruction,” he said.
The ramp “would be eliminated, and our plan is to put in a set of stairs and a handicap-accessible ramp.” Plus, the city will build a circle to prevent K-turns in peoples’ driveways.
As required by the DEP, the city transcribed all public comments about the pier and will submit the transcript along with the amendment request. Written comments will be accepted at City Hall, 901 Atlantic Ave. and the state Green Acres office.
City officials said they were confident the DEP would approve their amendment.
To contact Taylor Henry, email thenry@cmcherald.com.