Borough Learns of Ocean Drive Upgrade, County Project to Alleviate Flooding

 AVALON – The Aug. 10 meeting of Avalon Borough Council began with a presentation of the county’s improvement project for Ocean Drive. 
The project, which the county hopes to begin in earnest around March 2017, involves much more than road repaving.
The area from 29th to 62nd streets would be upgraded for complete Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, have the roadway elevated and appropriately graded to help alleviate flooding associated with rain events and normal high tides, and include new “countdown” pedestrian walkway signals where selected traffic signals are replaced.
The effort would be significantly funded with federal monies. One reason for the county presentation to council was a need for easements for borough property required for the federal filings.
A major part of the discussion with council revolved around plans to raise the road to alleviate flooding without causing runoff water to flow onto adjacent properties.
A sophisticated drainage system involving pipes on the property side of the sidewalks is expected to handle the water flow from the newly raised street as well as from the properties themselves which are built on a pitch that moves water from the back to the street.
The plan envisions what is essentially a valley in the grade that funnels water to drains through the new piping. The project will involve new sidewalks for the length of the impacted area. Work will be done within the right-of-way and not extend to individual properties.
Council members John McCorristin and William Burns posed numerous questions to the county engineers to ensure that some of the uniquely positioned properties on the impacted route would be handled in the right way.
The plan calls for work from March through June 2017 when work would stop until the following September. Special arrangements would be made for the Memorial Day Weekend.
Borough Engineer Thomas Thornton explained how the planned replacement of the Ocean Drive Sanitary Sewer lines would have to run ahead of the county project so as not to impact the repaving.
Property Reassessment
Council adopted an ordinance authorizing an emergency appropriation supporting the effort to conduct a complete property reassessment throughout the borough. The intention is to have the new assessments in time for the 2018 tax year.
Business Administrator Scott Wahl also reported to council that state approval of the reassessment project had been obtained.
In a related item, Wahl announced that Connie DiCola was preparing to step down as Tax Collector. He indicated that Assistant Tax Collector Alexis Coan was well prepared to step into the function. A resolution appointing Coan to the position is expected for council action at its next meeting.
Other business
Wahl reported on conversations between the borough and the Army Corps of Engineers concerning the temporary road built to the contained disposal facility.
Wahl said the discussions are concerning the economic and environmental issues involved in maintaining the road. No decisions have yet been finalized.
Wahl also reminded the council that the next phase of the dredging project included state channels. This work is impacted by the impasse in Trenton over ways to fund the Transportation Trust Fund. The current work stoppage mandated by executive order would not permit the project to move ahead.
Since dredging cannot begin again until mid-September, the hope is that the impasse will be resolved by then.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.