Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Upper Township OKs $300K for emergency storm wall in Strathmere

11:49 p.m. Update - with photo gallery / UPPER TOWNSHIP –
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/185/story/291603.html


The Township Committee approved $300,000 at an emergency meeting Tuesday to build a new storm wall in Strathmere. The committee will hire a contractor to build a short, square wall using wire baskets filled with rocks. These sections will be placed in front of a bulkhead on the island’s north end.
The committee hopes to begin work as early as Wednesday.

The committee declared an emergency, allowing officials to hire contractors without public bidding.

On Sunday the island was swamped as northeast winds and tidal flooding pushed waves over a new bulkhead, flooding parts of the island.

The short rock wall will shore up the bulkhead and prevent waves from undermining this protective wall. It will be similar to but on a far smaller scale than the rock wall used in the Cape May Canal that divides Lower Township.

“It will be the best option. We’ll have most of it in place. There is a northeaster predicted for the weekend,” Mayor Richard Palombo said.
Neighbors are meeting later today to voice complaints about the township’s perceived inaction over Strathmere’s coastal erosion.

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