Ocean City Reconsidering Plan For Flooding On North End

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Cost estimates on a flood mitigation project on the north end of Ocean City came back at three times what the city had initially budgeted for, but Mayor Jay Gillian told a concerned citizen that help is still on the way. The comment came in response from a citizen who said during Thursday night’s council meeting that she had returned from vacation to find she couldn’t get into her home due to flood waters. She also learned that the project to install the north end pump station had been delayed again.

Gillian said the plans would’ve taken all the water from one end and moved it to the other, with all the water ending up on Sixth Street. He added that the new plan would use three pump stations, and resembles the Merion Park project.

“We can get more done for less money,” Gillian said, adding that the city hopes to get bids this summer, and begin work in the fall.

The original $8.7 million plan called for one pump station to be installed near Sixth Street and Bay Avenue in an effort to improve drainage from First to Eighth streets, from Asbury Avenue to the bay.

The city received a $5 million FEMA grant for the project, and the city still has that grant, Gillian said.
Councilman Michael DeVlieger said the city should pursue bulkheads on a parallel path.

Gillian said they should get the project started, then get the bulkheads and keep improving it. He said there’s a lot of mental stress that goes with living in a flood-prone area in Ocean City, and the city needs to do what it can to help those residents.

“There’s a lot of challenges, and we’re trying to knock them out one at a time,” Gillian said.

There will be a town hall meeting on the issue at a later date, to be determined.

Patch file photo