By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Get your kayaks, paddleboards and fishing poles ready.
And the diamond rings. (We’ll explain why later).
Sea Isle City will accept construction bids on Feb. 19 for a kayak launch facility and fishing pier that will offer easy access to the picturesque back bays.
The construction bids represent a major step in the city’s plan to finish the project in time for the 2020 summer tourism season.
“I’m very excited that the bids come in and that the proper permits are issued by the state of New Jersey, which I have no reason to believe won’t happen,” Mayor Leonard Desiderio said.
Jutting 132 feet out into the water, the Boardwalk-style structure will be built near 60th Street at the Dealy Field athletic and recreation complex. There is an adjacent parking lot.
“This project will be a great addition to our community,” Desiderio said. “I can envision many of our residents and visitors utilizing this for fun and recreation. The location is ideal because of the vast amount of parking and because of its closeness to other recreation at this site.”
Amenities include a fishing pier and a handicap-accessible launch facility for kayaks and paddleboards. Kayak storage racks will also be offered as an extra convenience for those who are eager to paddle on the bay.
The project will also include decorative lighting and a “passive pier” featuring a covered pavilion. Desiderio envisions the passive pier as a quiet location for nature lovers to enjoy the wildlife, bayfront views and sunsets.
He also believes it will be the setting for an occasional marriage proposal, so ecstatic couples exchanging kisses and flashy diamond engagement rings may be part of the pier scene once in a while.
A sign erected at the site gives a sneak preview of the project. It includes an architectural rendering accompanied by the words, “Coming soon … Opening in 2020.”
Sea Isle has received a $935,605 grant from Cape May County’s Open Space Board to help pay for the project.
“Thanks to our county, this will cost the taxpayers of Sea Isle City very little. That’s very important,” said Desiderio, who also serves as a county freeholder in addition to being Sea Isle’s mayor.
Crowded with upscale homes, Sea Isle’s bayfront offers few places where kayakers, paddleboarders and anglers have public access to the water. The new fishing pier and kayak launch facility will give the public a prime location to enjoy the back bays.
A communitywide survey conducted in 2015 included responses from local residents urging the city to create more access to the bayfront as a way to enhance recreation, including kayaking.
