Dunes, Public Safety Discussed at Borough Council Meeting

VILLAS – Despite the best efforts of Mother Nature, Lower Township Council held its bi-monthly meeting March 3 at township hall. Although only a handful of residents managed to brave the cold, snow and ice, some issues and proposals were aired.
Those issues could have a significant impact on public safety from law enforcement to quality of life recreational concerns on the township beaches, to protecting beaches from storm damage and natural erosion.
Detective Sgt. Ernest Macomber requested that council consider the police department’s request to expand the usage of the Regional Automated Property Information Database or “RAPID” tracking system to include items that are not currently required to be entered by second-hand merchants or pawn shops.
The current ordinance requires that only certain items, mostly jewelry, must be entered into this tracking system by merchants themselves. Once entered, police can search for stolen property in this central system to recover stolen property.
The request recognizes that other items of value are also the subject of property crimes including expensive fishing equipment, electronics, small boats such as kayaks and other metals not currently covered under the existing ordinance.
Macomber added that police make approximately 130 individual visits to these second-hand merchants a year seeking information about items that have been stolen and possibly sold to second-hand merchants, and that these time consuming and expensive visits could be eliminated by amending the current ordinance to include items not currently listed in that ordinance.
Council reacted favorably to the idea and referred the request for further legislative action.
Mayor Michael Beck spoke briefly about the Diamond Beach dune proposal that would include the protection of beaches in the Diamond Beach area by restoring some protective dunes with sand that would be redistributed from the beaches on Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and Lower Township. There have been hearings and discussions on this proposal with all communities involved.
Beck and Councilmember Erik Simonsen attended a meeting with the Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps of Engineers Feb. 28 concerning this issue. The mayor said Lower Township is actively involved in this process and that the Lower Township Planning Board will be tasked with continuing to work with all stakeholders in order to make recommendations to council regarding their findings.
More information and discussion about this proposal will be available at the meeting of the township planning board that will be held March 20 at township hall at 7 p.m. Interested parties and the public are invited to attend.
Luke Gegan, a member of the Recreation Advisory Board (RAB), and Mark DiDonato, vice-chairperson of RAB, presented a formal recommendation to township Manager Michael Voll concerning the Lower Township five-year Recreation Master Plan. That plan includes five projects designed to “enhance the recreational capital” in the community. One of those projects that the Board recommends is the Beach Drive/Shore Drive Public Access project that focuses on the North Cape May and Town Bank beach area that has become a popular recreational summertime draw for locals and tourists.
According to DiDonato, this project will improve pedestrian safety and beach access in this popular waterfront destination from Lincoln Boulevard to Fernwood Road. Currently, pedestrians, bikers and automobiles all vie for the same roadway, which raises the risk of accidents and injuries. The proposed 1.5-mile walkway would “mitigate present roadway deficiencies” and provide a separate pedestrian path complete with appropriate ADA-approved access points that should provide a safe and enjoyable recreational experience for all.
To contact Jim McCarty, email jmccarty@cmcherald.com.