By Donald Wittkowski
Sign-toting residents packed the City Council Chambers on Tuesday to protest a proposed extension of the Promenade, but erupted in cheers when the mayor revealed that the project was probably "dead on arrival."
Opponents denounced the project as a waste of money and said it would cause serious environmental damage by cutting through the dunes that protect Sea Isle City from ocean flood waters.
"The cost would be exorbitant going forward, not only for construction, but also for maintenance and security," said Vicki Miller, a spokeswoman for a group of residents known as "Don't Pave Sea Isle's Dunes."
The city had included $1 million for the project in its capital plan, but the money was never spent, Business Administrator George Savastano said.
About 50 residents appeared at Tuesday's Council meeting to protest the project. Some carried signs that said "The Dunes Protect Our Island" and "No Promenade Extension."
Acknowledging the opposition, Mayor Leonard Desiderio announced during the meeting that the project was being dropped.
Desiderio said the city had consulted with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and was left with the impression that "this proposal is probably dead on arrival."
His remarks immediately prompted cheers and applause from the audience. Desiderio thanked the residents for expressing their concerns, noting that the project was "not too popular."
Vicki Miller, a spokeswoman for a group of residents known as "Don't Pave Sea Isle's Dunes" was delighted with the mayor's announcement that the project is being dropped.
Miller, who lives on 84th Street, said residents were delighted to hear the mayor's announcement, but would continue to pay close attention to the Promenade.
"We are going to keep watching it to make sure it doesn't come back to life," she said of the extension plan.
Councilman Jack Gibson had proposed extending the Promenade as a way of reducing congestion and accidents between bicycles and motor vehicles on Pleasure Avenue.
He thought the extension would encourage more bicyclists to use the Promenade instead of riding on Pleasure Avenue and risk getting hit by cars and trucks.
Desiderio praised Gibson for "thinking outside the box." But in announcing that the extension would not happen, the mayor also said the city would consider other ways to reduce accidents and congestion on Pleasure Avenue.
The Promenade, a paved walkway popular with pedestrians, joggers and bicyclists, runs along the oceanfront for 1.5 miles between 29th and 57th streets.
In an interview after the Council meeting, Gibson said he was in favor of extending the Promenade by adding a gravel pathway for bicyclists on the Pleasure Avenue side.
Gibson suggested that the project could have run the entire 4.5-mile length of the island.
Opponents feared an extension would have plowed through the dunes, causing harm to a key part of the city’s flood-protection system. They also said the extension may have started with a gravel surface, but eventually would become a paved route to accommodate bicyclists, further damaging the dunes.
"The dunes protect the entire community from storms," Miller said. "There can be no construction on the dunes."
In other business Tuesday, Council introduced an ordinance that ties together the city's watershed management plan with its flood-protection programs.
The ordinance is scheduled for a public hearing and final vote at Council's Oct. 11 meeting.
City Solicitor Paul Baldini said Sea Isle has been working on the program for two years and will be the first municipality in New Jersey to adopt a watershed management plan.
The program will allow the city to obtain a higher rating from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and help local homeowners secure discounts on their flood insurance premiums.
