Joint Avalon-Sea Isle City Beachfill Project to Pump Lots of Sand

JOINT AVALON-SEA ISLE CITY PRESS RELEASE
AVALON — A major emergency beach fill project that may result in more than 1 million cubic yards of sand being placed on beaches here and Sea Isle City this spring took a major step forward on Friday, Jan. 8.
A bid opening was held for the project at the Avalon Borough Hall, and Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, LLC of Oak Brook, Ill. presented the low bid for the project at $10.406 million. Weeks Marine of Covington, La. also presented a bid for the project.
“I am very pleased with the bid presented by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co.,” stated Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi in a release. “The bid will enable both communities to conduct a major emergency beach nourishment project this year that will provide both a protective and recreation beach for this summer, and beyond”.
The bid presented by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. results in a cost of $7.02 for each cubic yard of sand that will be pumped onto the beaches in both Avalon and Sea Isle City. Avalon is expected to receive approximately 500,000 cubic yards of sand that will be placed on beaches from Ninth Street south to 26th Street; Sea Isle City will receive approximately 700,000 cubic yards of sand that will be placed on beaches from 73rd Street, south to 94th Street. This major beach fill project will occur during the spring, 2010 and completed in time for the summer 2010 tourism season.
“Sea Isle City and Avalon both need major beach fills following a very active and unusual fall nor’easter season,” stated Sea Isle City Mayor Len Desiderio. “By partnering with our neighbors in Avalon, we are able to provide both communities with a protective beach, and save money by doing a joint beach fill project”.
Both communities have applied for necessary permits from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Sea Isle City has applied for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, while Avalon has a cur-rent permit in place from the USACOE, and simply needs a modification of that permit for the beach fill project to move forward.
Avalon’s Borough Council will introduce an ordinance Jan. 13 that will authorize the beach fill project; and Sea Isle City also introduced a funding ordinance at its Jan. 12 council meeting.
Sea Isle City will pay $5.9 million for the project, while Avalon’s share will be $4.5 million.
“FEMA does not provide funding to repair federal beach projects that fall under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” Pagliughi stated. “And we all know that the state gutted its Beach Replenishment Fund by millions of dollars, which puts the burden of emergency beach nourishment projects squarely on the backs of local government. We simply cannot wait for help from the federal or state governments before we begin this emergency project. Avalon will continue to meet with officials in Washington, DC to get emergency funding placed in the USACOE’s budget. This is critically important for the safety, and economy, of the entire New Jersey coast-line.”
Avalon and Sea Isle City will finance the cost of the beach fill project with local dollars and seek reimburse-ments as the project moves forward.