Opponents Decry Lower’s Bay Drive Project

CREST HAVEN – Over 50 Lower Township residents went to the Cape May County Open Space Advisory Board meeting June 27. They were “loaded for bear,” as some would say. 
The “bear” in this case was the Beach Drive Safety Improvement Project.
Lower Township officials went to the board in search of $1.7 million to partially fund this controversial and, many believe, unnecessary $3.35-million project that will:
* Resurface Beach Drive
* Add a six-foot sidewalk to the west side
* Create new markings and cutouts
The project would make Beach Drive from Lincoln Boulevard to Emerson Road safer for motorists, bikers, joggers, and pedestrians, according to Lower Township Administrator James Ridgway.
County staff members at Crest Haven were unprepared for so many residents and members of Save Our Shores in North Cape May, N.J.
The meeting had to be moved from a small conference room to the Freeholder Meeting Room of the County Administration Building to accommodate presenters and the opponents.
Open Space Advisory Board Chair Peter Lomax opened the hearing by explaining that the board’s role is not to judge or serve as a referendum on the project.
Instead, the board is tasked with determining if the project and supporting application fall within the procedural guidelines for Open Space grants.
He asked that residents understand the limited authority the board has in this regard.
Joseph Maffei, vice president of EDA Associates, led the township’s presentation by identifying himself as having been tasked to determine if the sidewalk improvement project in any way interferes with the hurricane resiliency project that is also planned for the same area.
According to Maffei, these projects although inter-related, are distinct projects; Mott MacDonald is the engineer for the sidewalk project.
While EDA is responsible for the east-side portion of the overall improvement plan, Maffei concluded that, as an outside reviewer of the two projects, there is no adverse impact on the dunes (resiliency) project, should the sidewalk improvement project go forward.
Funding
Lower Township Grants Coordinator Coleen Crippen provided an overview that described the project in general and provided cost estimates. Crippen explained that the east-side portion of the concept received a $178,000 Department of Transportation grant that covers engineering to improve the existing sidewalks and intersections on the east side of Beach Drive.
The township is requesting $1.735 million in Open Space money to partially fund the west-side addition of sidewalks and resurfacing of Beach Drive.
The remaining $1.437 million would have to be funded through capital appropriation. Councilman David Perry (R-2) stated that the council had approved this project April 3 by a 5-0 vote which he sees as a vote for the safety of residents and beachgoers.
He stressed that this project has been on the horizon since 2011 and that it is time to act on it.
Ridgway provided a supporting statement that stressed the safety elements of the project that are designed to protect citizens.
He noted that the Coastal Area Facilities Review Act (CAFRA) permit and the state Department of Environmental Protection had already approved the project.
The township also presented a video that featured several residents voicing approval of the project. Members of Save Our Shores (SOS) then began the public comments.
Opponents Voice Concerns
Dozens of residents expressed their issues. For some, like Christine O’Donnell, there are many questions about how and why this project was created that bother her and her family, who have been residents of the area for decades.
“Who will profit from this project?” she asked. “Why was the contract for Mott MacDonald a no bid?”
O’Donnell was also wondering why Freeholder Will Morey did not recuse himself from the board’s decision because his cousin, Steven Morey, is a senior associate at Mott MacDonald who is involved in the beach project.  O’Donnell felt that this was a conflict of interest.
Other opponents focused on the dunes issue because they feel that by pushing the dunes back towards the bay to make room for the new sidewalk, the flood protection the dunes provide would be compromised. 
Maffei assured the crowd that the project’s footprint is not within the FEMA “V” Zone that would indicate a risk of flooding.
Some felt the project is a waste of taxpayers’ money when there are other ways to improve safety along the beach such as improving the east side existing sidewalks, and more law enforcement to slow traffic.
Traffic Law Enforcement
Sgt. Fennman of the Lower Township Police Department appeared to support the plan, saying that there is sufficient enforcement on the drive and that the one-way street idea would cause lots of congestion and problems for emergency vehicles trying to change direction when a 911 call requires a quick U-turn.
The issue of some property owners who own parts of the east, or beach side of the road was raised; at least one resident stated that there was no information about what would happen to their parcels. Others felt that overall communication and notices by the township were lacking, a charge refuted by Ridgway and Councilman Thomas Conrad (R-1).
Dunes Too Short?
Resident Joseph Ganci believes that the dunes are not tall enough to withstand serious storms in his experience, and “I do not trust Lower Township.”
The issue of trust seemed to be a common theme as many feel that there are other “agendas” at work and they feel that this issue is not a “township” issue so much as it is a “North Cape May” issue. Residents voiced a desire for a referendum by affected residents and another township meeting that is “well publicized” for a weekend so that part-time property owners can attend.
Provide Data
Lomax finally requested that anyone else with pertinent information should provide documentation to the board.
He indicated that the board usually votes on these applications at the end of the day, but in this case, he was unable to say exactly when a decision would be made.
To contact Jim McCarty, email jmccarty@cmcherald.com.