Hearing on Diamond Beach Dune Scheduled for Feb. 21

VILLAS – The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Bureau of Coastal Engineering will hold a public hearing Feb. 21 on the construction of a 16-foot tall dune along the beaches from North Wildwood to the southern tip of Diamond Beach.
A feasibility report recommends restoration of a berm and dune by using back-passed sand from the beaches of Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and Lower Township. According to DEP, these beaches have historically accumulated large quantities of sand which could be redistributed to provide beach nourishment material to reduce storm damage to the entire island in the form of a dune and berm.
The Bureau of Coastal Engineering invites the public to attend a hearing Friday Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. at North Wildwood City Hall, 901 Atlantic Ave. The public may voice their opinions or provide written comments at the hearing.
A copy of the proposed plan is available online at: www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/PublicNoticesReports.aspx
The plan will include back passing sand from the beach in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest into a dune and berm in North Wildwood and a dune only in Wildwood Crest and Lower Township
The Hereford Inlet to Cape May Inlet Study Area is unique to other projects in the New Jersey Shore Protection Study. It has two distinct problems; erosion at the northern portion of the island and the accretion of sand at the southern portion of the island.
The northern portion of the island has experienced erosion over the past 10 years that has exposed property to storm damage.
The southern portion of the project area is accreting sand rapidly. This accretion is clogging municipal outfalls that drain storm water from the interior portions of the island to the sea.
Proposed dune elevation would be 16-feet and 125-feet wide toe to toe. The plan includes the installation of approximately 64 acres of dune grass, 28,000 linear feet of sand fence, 44 extended crossovers, seven new pedestrian crossovers, seven extended handicap crossovers, six new handicap crossovers, eight existing vehicle crossover extensions and five new vehicular crossovers.
To maintain the design template, this plan also included periodic sand nourishment every four years.
Those who cannot attend the hearing may submit written comments within 15 days of the public hearing to: Christopher Constantino, NJDEP Bureau of Coastal Engineering, 1510 Hooper Ave. Suite 140, Toms River, NJ 08753