Borough to Use Eminent Domain for Shoreline Project

WEST WILDWOOD – Borough of West Wildwood spent $80,000 in the planning stages of a project to erect a natural protective barrier on marshland west of 26th Street and north of Poplar Avenue.
“Believe me, that $80,000 is well spent,” said Mayor Christopher Fox, during a West Wildwood Commission meeting Jan. 8. The borough plans to acquire the land using eminent domain.
Kyong-Ae “Kathy” Thomas said Jan. 9 she bought the three acres of marshland as an investment about 10 years ago. She added that her lawyer is handling the matter, but doesn’t think it’s worth it to hire an assessor to dispute the $17,000 cited by the borough.
Deputy Clerk Carl O’Hala said most of the $80,000 spent was paid to an engineering firm, exploring the logistics of the project.
The borough would use natural supplies to erect the barrier, such as bagged clamshells and logs, filled in by dredging, creating protective vegetation, which should protect the island.
After acquiring the land, the borough would attempt to generate funding to begin the construction of the project. O’Hala called the potential barrier “essential.”