Proposed Plan for Northend Pump Station Raises Concerns in Ocean City

Ocean City residents who live on Sixth Street expressed concerns about plans for the north end pump stations, saying work will cause damage to their homes and additional water being pumped into their area would cause problems, according to the Ocean City Gazette.

The proposed plan calls for six high capacity pumps under what is currently a soccer field on Sixth Street to take in all storm water in the area between Asbury Avenue and the bay from First to Seventh Street and push it into the bay, according to the report. The existing drainage system would be replaced.

At a town hall meeting on the issue held on Saturday at the library, residents expressed concerns about six pumps moving 32,500 gallons of water a minute into the bay, according to the report.

David Applegate, who represented the design and engineering firm of Paulus, Sokolowski and Sartor, said he couldn’t guarantee that property wouldn’t be damaged, but said the contractor would be held accountable, according to the report.

He also said the system wouldn’t alleviate tidal flooding or keep pollutants from draining into the bay, but he did say the proposed plan would be an improvement to the drainage system, according to the report.

The projected cost of the project is $8.7 million, with $5 million of that being covered by a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant, according to the report.

Read more at shorenewstoday.com.

The attached image is a Patch file photo