Sea Isle City Progress
Some pretty cool stuff happening in Sea Isle City these days.
The latest is a $13.4 million initiative to upgrade many aspects
of the corridor between the bay and the beach along JFK Boulevard, as
well as a new lifeguard headquarters for next summer.
The pictures below are drawings of what will hopefully come to fruition over the
course of the next few years. Full story on the projects may be found following
the pix (a worthy read for Sea Isle folk).
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Old beach patrol headquarters…
New headquarters to be completed by summer 2010…
New entryway looking east from Landis Avenue. Are those trees that I see?
Actual photograph of JFK and the Promenade as it exists today…
…and the plans for the future. Note the band shell in the background. Concerts and other forms of entertainment that were formerly held on the promenade will now be held on the open space lot.
Veterans Memorial at the corner of JFK and Landis Avenues. Note building in the background…public restrooms!!!
Lighthouse at the corner of JFK and Park. Note the movement east of the playground and the new basketball court in the background.
Sidewalks are widened making access to and from the beach/bay more inviting.
Beach to Bay Corridor Project Update
SEA ISLE CITY — On Tuesday, October 13, the City Council held a meeting to discuss the projected Beach to Bay Corridor revitalization. The project encompasses all the land stretching from JFK Boulevard and The Promenade to the Marina Area. More…
Stuart Wiser, Regional Director, Planning and Developer of Remington, Vernick & Walberg Engineers, along with his colleague Marc DeBlasio, Wildwood Office Manager and Senior Associate, presented the project at the meeting. As the project engineers, they have been working with the City to redesign the City owned land from The Beach to The Bay on the JFK Boulevard Corridor. The information presented at the meeting consisted of a culmination of public meetings and public content, combined to explain “preliminary depictions of the type of improvements envisioned.” As of right now, nothing is set in stone. NJDEP CAFRA and NJDEP Green Acres permits are still needed for most of the areas.
Wiser explained that the objectives of the project are to “shrink the distance between The Promenade…and the Marina,” maximize the attractiveness of the downtown area, and create new amenities to draw visitors to both corridor ends. The plan is an effort to enhance activities and business opportunities, as well as bring new people into town, anticipating that this will improve economic activity that will extend into the shoulder season. The City also wants to establish a seamless link between individual projects and the surrounding area to create a unified anchor for the economic revitalization.
There are a total of six sites of special interest, made up of 13 specific projects along the boulevard that are in the plans for renovation Each have their own plan, commencement date, completion date, and estimated costs. They consist of the Excursion Park, Promenade, and street end; the Library Parcel; the City-Owned land between the VFW Post 1963 and the Italian American Club; the Public Works Outdoor Storage Yard; the Public Works Building and surrounding land; under Bridge and adjacent areas; the Children’s Amusements; the 42nd Place Lagoon Area; the Community Lodge; the Public Recreation Block; the Old Firehouse and JFK Boulevard itself.
Our project tour overview begins with the Excursion Park, Promenade, and street end. The City plans to install new Promenade decking and replace and enlarge the existing ramp system. The Pavilion will be replaced with decorative elements, and new seating will be constructed to overlook the Excursion Park. Below, the street landscaping will be reconfigured to include a drop-off lane, and a band shell will be installed in the Excursion Park. Additional parking will also be created on the western lawn of the existing restrooms.
Continuing west down the boulevard, the Library Parcel is next. The Library is to be demolished and rebuilt at 48th Street between Central Avenue and Park Road, and the old Library area will be converted to a parking lot that will hold 41 spaces and contain a new Smart Meter parking system. The area will also be generously landscaped and the Beach Tag Office will be relocated. Moving along, the land between the VFW Post 1963 and the Italian American Club may be converted into a parking lot, holding 20 spaces with generous landscaping. A study will be conducted during the summer of 2010 to determine if this is a necessary change, considering the additional parking that has been proposed and will be implemented in the Marina Area Project, with a completion date in May of 2010. Similarly, based on the need for additional parking and the results of a Public Works Master Plan, the Public Works Outdoor Storage Yard is recommended to become a parking lot with the Smart Meter parking system. If this recommendation is implemented, the new lot will hold 49 spaces and be given generous landscaping while the Public Works storage function will be relocated to another area in town. The Public Works Building and surrounding lands are also part of the Master Plan, but the immediate initiative for this area is to paint and improve the JFK Boulevard and Kneass Avenue facades, install decorative fencing along the Boulevard and Kneass frontages, and enhance the lands west of the building.
Next is the area under and adjacent to the Bridge which the City has planned, implemented, and funded into the Marina Project. The proposal is to build a safe, well-lit, landscaped, and attractive pedestrian pathway from the parking area at the north side of the Bridge to the Children’s Amusements. Parking is also looking to be created on the Bridge Apron, 35 spaces on the north side and 16 spaces on the south side. The first phase of the Children’s Amusements has been completed, and efforts to expand the area in 2010 are currently being addressed.
Now that we’ve rounded the corner, the 42nd Place Lagoon Area will be next on the overview. The City has planned, implemented, and funded the projects that have been completed, and are in the process of being completed, in this area. Completed projects include a new bulkhead and new boat slips, a 12-foot wide boardwalk with street furniture, and the demolition of the Marina Operations building. A new structure is in the process of being designed.
Enhancements the City would like to make are reconfiguring the Community Lodge parking lot to increase efficiency and improving the aesthetics of the area by conducting streetscaping along 42nd Place. This includes constructing decorative sidewalks and street lighting, improving the boat trailer parking lot, landscaping the area, replacing the old docks, and adding the Smart Meter parking system. In the future, the City would like to add historical and ecological markers and build non-permanent commercial kiosks to enhance the area, but not to compete with The Promenade or other city merchants. It would also like to build a Fishing Pier in the Marina Area. These last few projects have not yet been funded but are improvements that the City has identified in the capital process.
The Community Lodge is next and would incur improvements to the restrooms and the overall facility. After that comes the Public Recreation Block. Beginning with the eastern side, the Veterans’ Memorial is to be redesigned to accommodate visitors and ceremony attendees. Seating and a pavilion with restrooms will be added to the area. The basketball courts will be reconfigured to create two standard-sized courts, which will result in gaining land for other uses. The playground will also be redesigned to eliminate redundant equipment and wasted space.
With the consolidation there will be room to relocate the Ludlam’s Island Lighthouse to the west end of the block, on the corner of JFK Boulevard and Central Avenue. The building is to include an area for literature about the lighthouse, an Information Center, Beach Tag Sales, public restrooms, and offices from the Old Firehouse. Plans for the Old Firehouse are still in the making but suggestions have been made to demolish the building and sell the property to help fund the Corridor Project if there is no interest in preserving it.
Finally, the project ends with improvements to JFK Boulevard, which are two-fold. One part is the responsibility of the County, and the other is the responsibility of the City. The County is in charge of elevation and roadway improvements, decorative sidewalks, and improving traffic flow and drainage. The City would like to enhance the Boulevard by constructing decorative street lighting, making temporary sidewalk improvements, removing overhead wires, and adding the Smart Meter parking system.
The work on individual projects will be phased depending on permits and other work being done, and the total amount needed for the project is estimated to be $13,417,000. This is a huge initiative for the City, but the outcome is expected to completely rejuvenate the downtown area and create an environment where all will want to explore. As the outline states, “the revitalization plan for the Beach to Bay Corridor Project may be considered the Master Plan for the transformation of the Corridor from a motor-vehicle-oriented causeway to a family-oriented, pedestrian-friendly, aesthetically pleasing environment designed to achieve the City’s Municipal Goals and Objectives.”
Kathryn Angela Dalrymple
Public Information Assistant
City of
