Middle Township Recreation Upgrades Advance

COURT HOUSE – In a short meeting Aug. 7, Middle Township Committee pushed forward on several planned improvements.
After seeking public input, the governing body authorized a plan for the proposed rejuvenation of Rio Grande Park.
The plan calls for many of the public’s most sought-after amenities including a dog park, pickleball area, playground and a bike station adjacent to the bike path extension that links Middle and Lower townships.
The resolution requested almost $1.3 million from the county’s Open Space Program to fund the park upgrades.
Avalon Manor Pier
An additional attempt to gain Open Space dollars may be in the works. The township is currently seeking a $400,000 grant from the state for Americans with Disabilities Act improvements (ADA) at the closed fishing pier in Avalon Manor.
The pier’s support infrastructure was badly damaged by Winter Storm Jonas and has been closed to the public as a safety measure.
The township has a conceptual plan to remake the pier including structural repairs to the bulkhead and a rebuild of the pier with ADA accessibility and some new amenities.
If the effort to gain the state grant is successful, the township would then move to seek additional funding from the county Open Space program. 
The township has already expended funds on the design work to-date. The total cost of the project is estimated at around $1 million.
The pier is a remnant of the bridge that once linked Avalon to the mainland. 
The popular spot sits on the Intracoastal Waterway which results in good fishing within casting range.
Cape Express Soccer
Another resolution authorized an agreement with Cape Express Soccer for Okie Wisting Recreational Complex Improvements.
The formal agreement represents another step in the remaking of the park, which will see a shared maintenance responsibility for specified areas of the complex.
A change order for work being done on the parking lot was also approved with Cape Express covering $63,000 of the total change order amount of $117,322.
Link to Dennis Township
During public discussion, both Mayor Michael Clark and Committeeman Timothy Donohue talked about the continued interest in expanding the township bike path north to connect with Dennis Township. 
Donohue said that the vision of a bike path in Middle Township has “now turned into a true countywide bike path plan.”
The township’s early efforts on the bike path ran for seven miles from the Cape May County Zoo area to Satt Boulevard in Rio Grande. Recent efforts moved the bike path south with a connector to the Lower Township bike path.
It’s now possible to use the bike path for a 15-mile stretch from the Cape May/Lewes Ferry to the zoo.
Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
The committee also introduced a new Flood Damage Prevention ordinance as part of its entrance into the Community Rating System (CRS) that is part of the National Flood Insurance Program.
The ordinance sets provisions and standards for construction and property protection in defined flood zone areas of the township.
It also speaks to “controlling the alteration of natural floodplains” and preventing “the construction of flood barriers which may increase flood damage.”
The extensive requirements are aimed at flood damage mitigation. In part, the motivation for the effort is a CRS rating score that eventually will result in lower flood insurance premiums for township property owners.
The full ordinance will be considered at a public hearing at the Sept. 6 committee meeting. Following that hearing, the ordinance will be up for adoption at that same meeting.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.