State Denies Emergency Bulkhead For Battered Jersey Shore Town

NORTH WILDWOOD, NJ — The state has denied an emergency bulkhead authorization for North Wildwood, saying that no one is in imminent danger, according to an Associated Press report.

The erosion of sand dunes in the shore town has been an ongoing issue, and only worsened by recent winter storms, as Patch previously reported. Read more: Ocean Breaches Dunes In Jersey Shore Town

But the state Department of Environmental Protection told North Wildwood on Wednesday that the city cannot build a steel bulkhead where the dunes have been completely obliterated, according to the Associated Press.

Now, Mayor Patrick Rosenello says that he will likely appeal the decision, the report said, though the state said that the barrier would likely only worsen erosion from the force of waves bashing against it and scouring away any sand in front of it.

“Obviously we are very disappointed in the DEP's continued lack of concern regarding shore protection in North Wildwood,” Rosenello told the Associated Press. “The department has failed to do its job and now they are trying to thwart our efforts to protect ourselves. Frankly, it is unconscionable.”

The DEP said it visited the beach and determined there was no imminent risk to people or property due to the dune breach. A public walkway and a stormwater management system are between 100 and 160 feet from the eastern edge of the dunes, and the nearest private homes are 200 feet from it, the DEP said.

It's the latest in a lengthy battle between North Wildwood and the state as the island community seeks to protect its beaches.

The city has lost about 1,000 feet of beach over the past five to 10 years, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. North Wildwood and other municipalities on the barrier island have been waiting for the Army Corps' “Five Mile Island Project” to replenish their beaches, but the project is not set to begin until 2025. Read more: Latest Winter Storm Further Erodes Jersey Shore Beaches