By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
As we prepare to say a final goodbye to 2021, we take a look back at the Top 10 stories that kept Sea Isle City in the spotlight for the past year.
They are as follows:
Springfield Inn Demolished
Springfield Inn, the famously casual nightclub that was a landmark in Sea Isle City’s bar scene since the 1970s, was torn down in February after the beachfront property was sold for $5 million.
The Springfield and its outdoor Carousel Bar were hangouts for people coming straight off the beach dressed in bathing suits and T-shirts.
However, they were replaced by The Point, a tropical-themed outdoor bar that fits in with Sea Isle’s increasingly upscale image.
The Springfield closed for good in September 2019 in anticipation of its sale. The shuttered building began to deteriorate, prompting the city to issue a “Notice of Unsafe Structure” that ordered the owners to either repair or demolish the property. The sale sealed its fate.
LaCosta Lounge is Rebranded
LaCosta Lounge, another iconic Sea Isle nightclub dating to the 1970s, was rebranded as the Beach Bar at The Ludlam in 2021.
Developers Christopher Glancey and Bob Morris bought LaCosta for $7.3 million in 2018. They had originally planned to demolish the lounge to build a new hotel, restaurant, outdoor bar and banquet hall.
However, they stepped back from those plans to instead rebrand the lounge with the outdoor Beach Bar. Part of the building that housed LaCosta’s liquor store was converted into a bakery and coffee house called the Shorebreak Cafe.
The old LaCosta property also included the three-story Coast Motel, which has been revamped as the 30-room Ludlam Hotel as part of its redesign and renovation. Longer-range plans include building a second tower for the hotel.
Crackdown on Rowdy Behavior
Sea Isle residents were unsettled by an outbreak of rowdy behavior by groups of teenagers and young adults roaming through the resort town over the summer.
City officials responded to complaints from homeowners about public drunkenness, profanity, vandalism and theft by stepping up police patrols at night in popular areas such as the beaches, Promenade and downtown business district.
Entryways to the beaches were closed at 10 p.m. to prevent large groups of teens from congregating.
By the end of summer, city officials had declared the crackdown on unruly behavior a success. Sea Isle was just one of a number of towns at the Jersey Shore that had to deal with rowdy teens over the summer vacation season.
Proposed Community Center Approved
After more than two years of discussion and debate, City Council gave formal approval in December to a proposed $20 million community recreation center.
Construction is expected to begin next summer and take about 15 to 18 months to complete, meaning that the building should be ready to use by the public by late 2023 barring any significant delays.
The city’s former public school at 4501 Park Road will be demolished to make room for the project.
City officials and members of the public debated whether Sea Isle could afford or even needed the $20 million project, but it was ultimately decided there was broad community support and that the impact on local property taxes would only be minimal.
Winter Storm Slams Town
A winter storm that lingered for two days lashed Sea Isle with snow, rain, sleet, strong winds gusting above 50 mph and flooding before it finally departed on Feb. 2.
Large sections of Sea Isle were swamped by stormwater, turning downtown streets into mini-rivers. Mike Jargowsky, the city’s emergency management coordinator, estimated that the winter storm was comparable to the flooding from Tropical Storm Fay in July 2020.
The ever-changing nor’easter started with snow before transitioning to rain. The rain washed away the first round of snow, but a few more inches of snow fell before the storm wrapped up.
No injuries were reported. However, several motorists became stranded in the flooding and had to be rescued by police officers in a 5-ton, military-style truck with high enough clearance to navigate through stormwater.
Historic Church is Saved
The fate of the historic St. Joseph Catholic Church was unclear at the start of 2021.
Fearing that the 137-year-old building would be demolished, parishioners launched a fundraising and social media campaign to rally community support, including the placement of “Save Our Historic St. Joseph’s Church” lawn signs at homes and businesses throughout town.
By the summer, fears about the church’s possible demolition were allayed. Preservationists with a group called Save Our Historic St. Joseph’s Church undertook a renovation of the building with the help of local contractors and private donors.
The church was refurbished with fresh paint, new windows, doors, gutters, a new heating system and other improvements, ensuring it would continue to be a focal point of the community.
Former Fire Chief Frank P. Edwardi Sr. Dies
Sea Isle lost one of the most important people in public safety in the past 50 years when former Fire Chief Frank P. Edwardi Sr. died on July 6 at 77 years old.
His funeral at St. Joseph Catholic Church included 700 mourners as well as a procession of fire trucks that rolled down Landis Avenue and stopped in front of the church.
He joined the city’s volunteer fire department in 1969 and took over as chief in 2011 before retiring in 2019. His public service also included serving as Sea Isle’s former harbormaster overseeing the municipal marina.
Following his death, the generically named Sea Isle City Marina was renamed as the Frank P. Edwardi Sr. Marina in honor of the man who supervised it for 30 years and guided its transformation into an attractive hub for boaters.
New Recreation Attractions
Sea Isle celebrated the completion of new family-friendly recreation attractions in 2021.
On May 1, a delegation of city officials led by Mayor Leonard Desiderio cut the ceremonial ribbon on a nearly $1 million fishing pier and kayak launch site located on the bayfront near 60th Street.
Participating in the ribbon-cutting were the wife and family of late City Commissioner Jim Iannone. The city named the fishing pier and kayak launch site in Iannone’s honor.
Then on Memorial Day weekend, the city opened seven new pickleball courts on 42nd Place to meet heavy local demand for the fast-growing sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong.
Marijuana Ban
City Council gave final approval in May to a blanket prohibition of the sale, manufacture and distribution of both recreational and medical marijuana in Sea Isle.
The ordinance also bans the smoking or use of cannabis “in any public area,” including the beaches, the Promenade, parks and sidewalks.
Councilman William Kehner made it clear when the ordinance was introduced in April that marijuana shops or dispensaries will not be allowed under any circumstances in Sea Isle.
“I think it pretty much sums up that we have no interest in tolerating marijuana sales,” he said.
Beach, Dunes Erosion in Townsends Inlet
In April, a huge sandbar was created in Townsends Inlet when the powerful channel washed away the top layer of powdery sand from the surrounding beach and deposited it in the water.
Severe erosion also occurred with the surrounding sand dunes. As the dunes collapsed, an avalanche of trees and debris toppled onto the beach below.
But months later, the reverse began to happen in a natural process to restore the depleted beach. The sandbar all but disappeared, but the beach overlooking the bay side of Townsends Inlet was replenished.
The city’s Public Works Department had to take sand from other areas of the beach to begin fortifying the eroded dunes to help protect the adjacent Townsend Shoals condominium complex.
