Ocean City Details Beach Replenishment, Boardwalk Work And Bay Plans

Ocean City officials said the city is moving ahead with beach, boardwalk and bay projects as summer approaches, including a major beach replenishment effort, continued boardwalk repairs and a pending habitat grant for the back bays.

In a recent town hall, Mayor Jay Gillian said U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew secured $99 million for beach replenishment in South Jersey. Gillian said he met earlier in the week with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection partners, who plan to fast-track the work. Gillian said the project area will run from the Sea Spray, described as the first jetty, to 14th Street, and that stretch needs it the most.

Gillian said the Ocean City portion of the project is budgeted at $38 million and is expected to place more than 1 million cubic yards of sand on city beaches. Federal and state partners are expected to cover more than 91 percent of the cost, with Ocean City anticipating a local share of about $3.3 million. Gillian said that share is already part of its approved capital plan and will be included in a bond ordinance at the next City Council meeting.

Gillian also said the city has prepared by purchasing extra stockpiles of sand during the last replenishment project and by harvesting sand from healthier beaches. Public works crews are preparing to spread sand where it is needed most before summer.

On the boardwalk, Gillian said the rebuilt north end reopened March 24 after work from sand to railing. New decorative light posts are scheduled to arrive May 6. Crews are working between 12th Street and 14th Street to reinforce and redeck that section, and Gillian said the project should be completed within a couple of weeks. In the fall, the city plans to rebuild the stretch from 14th Street to 16th Street. Officials said a $4.9 million boardwalk preservation grant is helping fund the work.

For the bay, Ocean City said it is waiting to learn whether it will receive a $5 million DEP grant to restore habitat on Shooting Island, off the back around 20th Street. The city said the project would help rebuild marshlands and make beneficial use of material dredged from lagoons and waterways, including state channels at Venetian, Carnival and Ocean City Lagoon.

Officials said winter weather delayed dredging after lagoons and bayfront areas froze for much of February. Work stopped March 31 when the permit window closed, according to the city. Most of the work was completed, Gillian said, and waterways are now in maintenance mode. Ocean City plans to keep one back bay dredging project open so work can restart July 1 if needed.