Sea Isle Will Brighten Up Town With New Decorative Lighting

By Donald Wittkowski How do you brighten up a seashore town that is eager to showcase itself to tourists? Add more lights, of course, along with some other goodies. Decorative lighting, more beach mats and seed money for a dog park are some of the highlights of a $4.4 million bond ordinance that will finance an array of capital projects throughout Sea Isle City. City Council had been expected to approve the funding measure Tuesday, but pushed back the vote until July 31 because two members were absent from the meeting. During the meeting, Council held a public hearing on the ordinance. The funding package also includes money for road construction, lagoon dredging projects and an early warning system to prevent people from straying into flooded areas. Most notable is the city’s plan to spend $1.6 million for new decorative lighting along the oceanfront Promenade, as well as the downtown business district. The new lighting will be similar to the black, Victorian-style street lamps that already brighten up the John F. Kennedy Boulevard entranceway and parts of the Landis Avenue downtown corridor. More decorative lighting will be added along the Landis Avenue business corridor and other commercial hubs in town. On the Promenade, new lighting is planned between 35th and 44th streets. The city has been decorating the Promenade with new lights to make the tourist haven both safer and more attractive. The city will also continue with its program to add more street lighting along the Landis Avenue corridor and other commercial hubs in town. City Business Administrator George Savastano said the lights will liven up the city’s “ambiance” while also enhancing safety. The bond ordinance also includes $102,000 to buy more of the popular “Mobi-Mats” that make it easier for everyone – especially senior citizens or people with disabilities – to enjoy the beaches without having to trudge all the way through the thick, powdery sand. The non-slip mobility mats lie on top of the sand, providing an easier transition from the gravel pathways over the dunes to the beaches. Before, the mats were used at six handicap-accessible beaches along Sea Isle’s 4.5-mile shoreline from First to 94th streets. Now, they have been placed at intervals of about every three blocks between 29th and 91st streets. They remain at the handicap-accessible beaches. Ultimately, the city’s goal is to have the mats on every beach. The $102,000 in funding in the bond ordinance for new Mobi-Mats will help buy more of them for the 2019 summer season. The new bond ordinance includes $102,000 in funding to buy more beach mats for the 2019 summer season. The bond ordinance also includes preliminary funding for the city’s first dog park. The location for the dog park has not yet been decided, but the city is spending $25,000 to begin the planning process. Savastano said the city will seek community input as it begins searching for possible sites. “We have to be sensitive to the neighborhoods, so that is the challenge,” he said of finding a suitable location for owners to take their dogs. Also as part of the bond ordinance, the city plans to spend about $1.1 million for new equipment, vehicles and a flood-warning system. A $350,000 vacuum truck to clean out sewer and storm drains would be among the biggest purchases. It would replace an old vacuum truck that has taken “a beating” during its 11 years of heavy use, Savastano said. The flood-warning system would include 56 flashing signs scattered throughout town in neighborhoods most vulnerable to storm water. The yellow signs would warn motorists with the words, “Road Flooded When Flashing.” City officials said the flood-warning system would cost $160,000 and would be the biggest of its type for any municipality in New Jersey. Sea Isle, a low-lying barrier island, struggles with flooding even during moderate rain storms. The warning system would give motorists advance notice of flooding based on storm conditions and the weather forecast. A new flood-warning system will include flashing signs to keep motorists away from storm waters.