By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Sea Isle City’s oceanfront Promenade attracts countless tourists each year while serving as a hub for walkers, joggers, shoppers and bicyclists.
Think of it as Sea Isle’s “Main Street” for foot and bike traffic.
As inviting as the Promenade already is, Mayor Leonard Desiderio is hoping that Sea Isle can make it even more appealing by tapping a newly created state fund that will improve the iconic boardwalks at the Jersey Shore.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation on Aug. 15 to establish the Boardwalk Preservation Fund, which includes $100 million in state money that will be available for the renovation and repair of boardwalks.
“From Atlantic City to Asbury Park, for decades our state’s boardwalks have served as iconic fixtures in our shore communities, contributing not just to their local economies but to their unique histories and cultural fabric as well,” Murphy said in a statement after the bill signing.
Desiderio is not sure, though, whether the asphalt Promenade would be eligible for money that will spruce up the wooden boardwalks lining the shore.
“I still don’t know if the Promenade will be involved,” he said in an interview Saturday.
The 1.5-mile-long Promenade effectively serves as Sea Isle’s boardwalk. In fact, the Promenade replaced Sea Isle’s old boardwalk after it was reduced to twisted and mangled bits of wood rubble by the colossal Ash Wednesday storm that pummeled the Jersey Shore in 1962.
Realizing the vulnerability of having a wood structure so close to the powerful ocean, Sea Isle decided to build the asphalt and concrete Promenade walkway that stands today. The massive structure also serves as a barrier against the raging ocean.
“It still looks good for all of the years that it has protected us and for all of the people enjoying it,” Desiderio said.
Yet he pointed out that the Promenade also “takes a beating” from the weather and heavy use by so many people.
Following the governor’s signing of the Boardwalk fund, Desiderio has begun to think of ways that the Promenade could be improved with the help of state money.
Decorative lighting, new railings and the resurfacing of the Promenade itself are some of the improvements he mentioned.
He also wonders whether the funding could be used to improve the pathways that connect the Promenade to the beaches and to build handicap-accessible ramps leading to the Promenade from the streets.
The city has been livening up the Promenade in recent years with new decorative lighting, new benches and a new public address system, among other improvements. The Promenade runs along the beachfront from 29th Street to 57th Street.
Sea Isle also has a quaint wooden boardwalk that overlooks the city’s public marina along the bayfront off 42nd Place. Desiderio said he also wants to explore whether the marina’s boardwalk would qualify for the Boardwalk fund.
“We will make a pitch for anything we have. That needs some touch-up work and repairs,” he said of seeking state funding for Sea Isle’s small boardwalk.
In Cape May County, the towns of Ocean City, Wildwood and North Wildwood have boardwalks that serve as their centerpiece attractions for amusements, dining, retail shops and recreation. Sea Isle and Cape May have beachfront promenades.
Desiderio, in addition to being Sea Isle’s mayor, also serves as the director of the Cape May County Board of Commissioners, the elected body that oversees county government.
He worries that the relatively small Cape May County resort communities at the southern tip of New Jersey may not get their fair share of the Boardwalk Preservation Fund.
“Now we’ll see if Essex County has a boardwalk,” he said sarcastically of the politically powerful North Jersey county that is located far from the Jersey Shore.
Desiderio noted that Cape May County’s tourism industry generates nearly $7 billion in annual revenue – and the boardwalks are a huge part of the shore’s appeal to visitors and vacationers.
One of the primary sponsors of the Boardwalk Preservation Fund was Sen. Michael Testa, a Republican whose First Legislative District includes the Cape May County beach communities.
In a press release announcing the governor’s signing of the Boardwalk Preservation Fund, Testa praised Murphy, a Democrat, for his support of the bipartisan legislation that created the $100 million pool of money.
“Millions of tourists flock to the Jersey Shore each year to enjoy our boardwalks and our beautiful beaches. I am pleased that Governor Murphy signed this bipartisan legislation to make this historic investment to help preserve these vital features of our shore town communities,” Testa said in the release.
Desiderio said he wants to consult with Testa to see whether Sea Isle’s Promenade would qualify for money from the Boardwalk Preservation Fund.
