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Academic question: Should Sea Isle have a
school?
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
SEA ISLE CITY — The
future of the small Sea Isle City school will soon be decided.
City officials, school leaders and residents met
last month for a series of public forums about what should become of
the 93-student, pre-K-to-8 Sea Isle City School District, which is
facing the possibility of seeing even fewer students if the
school-age population in the resort decreases as projected.
The Board of Education may make a decision this
month, school board president Steve Zellers said Monday.
A school board work session is scheduled for
tonight at 6 p.m., and another meeting is set for May 29.
“It's a very difficult decision for everybody
involved,” Zellers said “The difficult part of it is if you vote on
closing the school, basically you can never start up again.”
Last year, the City
Commission funded a feasibility study by the Educational Information
and Resource Center.
The study released in March estimated the school's
per-student spending — already the highest in the state at $33,805 —
will grow to $39,160 in five years.
For the 2007-08 school year, the city's school
will cost taxpayers about $3.2 million.
Maintaining the school as it is would cost between
$1.1 and $2.3 million more than sending students out of district,
the report estimated.
But sending students to another district has
drawbacks. It would reduce the control the residents have over
school programs and future spending.
The future of the school could include keeping it
operating as normal. It could also involve sending some or all of
its students to other school districts — most likely Ocean City.
High school students in Sea Isle City attend Ocean
City High School.
“It looked like it was pretty clear we have one of
three options,” said school board member and City Councilman-elect
Michael McHale. “One is looking at keeping the school as it is, two
is Ocean City completely, or three just sending grades 6-8 to Ocean
City.”
“The board has to make some tough decisions.”
There are other issues involved. The school
building also has leaks and other problems. A long-range facilities
plan from October identified nearly $2.2 million in repairs, the
city's Interim Chief School Administrator Timothy Wade has said.
At public forums, residents voiced mixed feelings
about the school: some said it should stay open for the good of the
community; others, that the class sizes are too small.
“It's a big thing to be addressed,” Zellers said.
To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press:
BIanieri@pressofac.com
An old Victorian style building from the 1800's
is renovated and re-opened for summer tourists along the Jersey
Shore with an ocean view
Tuesday, 02 January 2007
New Age Media Concepts (NAMC)
SEA ISLE CITY, NJ,
(NAMC)
- The Colonnade Inn is pleased to announce it’s post-restoration
Grand Opening in 2007.
Located 1.5 blocks from the Atlantic Ocean in Sea Isle City, the
Colonnade Inn is an old Victorian hotel that was originally
built in 1883. It is the only remaining testament in the beach
town of Sea Isle City to the architectural style of a time that
has long since passed.
In 2004, the Colonnade Inn was purchased by the Colonnade
Investment Group who carefully restored the building with an aim
to preserve it’s Victorian style and history. Today the
Colonnade gives its visitors a glimpse into the past of not only
Sea Isle City but of most shore towns on the Jersey Shore.
For much of its history, the Colonnade Inn has been operated as
either a hotel or bed and breakfast. It has 19 rentable units
most of which feature jacuzzi tubs and fireplaces. Units range
from 1 room studios to 3 room suites. All unites are available
for rent year-round.
In the Summer, the Colonnade Inn is run as a bed and breakfast.
Coffee and baked goods are provided in the mornings, and daily
cleaning services are offered. Most units feature cable
television and high-speed wireless internet.
The Colonnade Inn is located only 1.5 hours from Philadelphia
and 2 hours from New York City. It is less than one hour from
Rowan University and only 25 minutes from the heart of Atlantic
City.
Because of its accessibility and location along the Jersey
Shore, Sea Isle City has become a thriving beach town in the
summers and popular weekend vacation spot even in the fall and
winter. The Colonnade Inn is regularly booked throughout the
year for weddings, family gatherings and holiday events.
With its recent restoration, The Colonnade Inn is now able to
provide modern amenities such as central AC, cable and wireless
internet into each room. Additionally, there is a Victorian style
common room with a big screen TV and a beautiful wraparound
porch
Top of Page
Spirit willing but knees weak: Sea Isle OKs
church elevator
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Wednesday, November
15, 2006
SEA ISLE CITY — For
years, pallbearers have navigated the steep steps at St. Joseph's
Catholic Church with particular care. But as Americans have grown
heavier, the short trip down 12 concrete steps has grown even more
precarious.
The quick drop from the church to the sidewalk on
Landis Avenue means pallbearers must hold the weight of caskets
above their heads, and it has become more difficult as caskets have
gotten heavier, the Rev. Stephen Carey said.
Because of that, and because the congregation is
growing older — with knee replacements and sore backs unable to
climb those stairs — the church sought and received site plan
approval at a city Planning Board meeting Monday night to construct
an elevator at the quaint 104-year-old church.
“I dread to see the day when a casket goes down
the front of that church, because they're very steep and caskets are
getting heavier,” resident John Henry said, speaking before the
Planning Board and asking the elevator be approved.
Entering or leaving the church means walking up
the steps. With a heavy casket, that walk can be difficult.
Carey said even young,
strong pallbearers have trouble carrying the casket up the stairs
and to the back of the church.
An estimated 65 percent of adults 20 years old or
older are either obese or overweight, according to the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the size of caskets
has not increased
“Once in a while we have to order an oversized
casket,” Radzieta Funeral Home Director John Radzieta said Tuesday.
The church's plans call for the elevator to be 8
feet 5 inches by 5 feet 8 inches — deep and rectangular in order to
accommodate coffins and those carrying them.
The elevator had the support of parishioners who
attended the Planning Board meeting.
Many were concerned that the steep stairway was
keeping the elderly from attending daily Mass.
The church's parishioners include 1,050 families —
“good, bad and indifferent” — and includes year-round and seasonal
populations, Carey said. More than half are senior citizens.
“I hope I'll have plenty of chances to come to
church and use it (the elevator). And not necessarily in a casket,
but that is a good feature,” said Jack Gibson, a parishioner and
former state assemblyman.
“It's for a necessity. I'm becoming older, and I
look forward to riding that elevator,” Ernie Marcacci said.
Michael McHale, a former Sea Isle City mayor who
serves on the parish council, said the church hopes to have the
elevator built and in use by May
Top of Page
Property owners in Sea
Isle City still wait for clear title
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Published: Tuesday, September 26,
2006
SEA ISLE CITY —
Homeowners on 47th Place say they feel left in the dark as several
agencies negotiate a complex settlement intended to give them clear
title of their million-dollar waterfront land.
“We're just going nowhere, and it's been an
enormous amount of time since this unfolded in May of 2005,” said
homeowner Dick Wince. “Ninety-nine percent of the people think we're
not hanging out to dry, and we're hanging out to dry,” Wince said.
Brian Buckley, a homeowner and spokesman for 47th
Place residents, said he hopes a conference scheduled for this
afternoon with state officials will shed more light on where a
possible resolution to the 64-year-old title mix-up stands.
His last official update was in July, he said.
Lee Moore, a spokesman for the state attorney
general's office, on Monday reported no settlements in the case.
Nine property owners on
47th Place, which is located along the bay, have sought clear title
to their land since May 2005.
Attempts at settling the issue have proven
complicated.
The city has offered some property to the state
for a land swap.
The state attorney general's office and title
insurance companies have been negotiating settlements that the
companies would pay to the state.
The state Legislature had to pass special
legislation to allow the state the legal authority to transfer
state-owned property back to residents. But because the matter has
remained unresolved, the nine affected homeowners still lack clear
title to the land.
They are unable to sell the land because, although
they technically paid for it, they never really owned it. There had
been a problem buried deep in the paperwork of the land's ownership.
In 1942, the city sold for $1 the area for the state to dredge. The
titles to the land at 47th Place were never returned to the city.
However, in 1965 the city hosted a public land
sale and sold the land to a developer, who filled in the marsh and
sold individual lots.
Last May, the state Department of Environmental
Protection's Bureau of Tidelands Management notified nine homeowners
of the discrepancy. There are six lots involved.
Months of talks, negotiations and even state
legislation — signed by former Gov. Richard J. Codey in December —
led to a possible solution to resolve the decades-old title dispute.
The city has offered to give the state vacant
parcels of city-owned beachfront and designated wetlands areas.
Paul Baldini, Sea Isle City's solicitor, said the
city gave the state restrictions on the properties it will use in
the land swap to ensure they won't be developed.
“We've had enough up and downs. This has been a
rollercoaster,” Mayor Leonard Desiderio said. “The homeowners, I'm
sure, every time they get their hopes up, it never materializes.”
To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press:
BIanieri@pressofac.com
Top of Page
Beach Goers Save
Whales In Sea Isle City
 John
W. Morris - Action News Executive Producer
SEA ISLE CITY,
N.J. - July 26, 2006 - Two
pilot whales were pushed back into the Atlantic Ocean
Wednesday night after they beached themselves in Sea
Isle City.
The whales were rescued by dozens of
beach goers.
The mother and her calf were
spotted in very shallow water, just off the on the
beach at 25th street around 5:00 Wednesday
afternoon. People on the beach immediately jumped to
help the whales, and were able to puch the calf back
in the water.
They had a much more difficult
time getting the larger mother off the sand and past
the breakers.
People of all ages gathered around
the whale and pushed for two hours, all while
children stood on the beach chanting "save our
whale."
Among the rescuers were workers
from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in
Brigantine.
To protect the whale from the sun,
they covered her with wet t-shirts. All the while,
her rescued calf, stayed nearby, circling in the
ocean about 30 yards away.
Shortly after 7:00, the people,
described by the Coast Guard as Good Samaritans,
threw up their arms and cheered. They'd gotten the
whale out deep enough that she was able to swim on
her own, and she went back out to see.
She was 20 to 25 feet long and
weighed several tons.
There is no reason to think that
she and the calf will not be able to recover and
rejoin the rest of their pod in the Atlantic.
Experts think the two ran into trouble while feeding
too close to shore, and then got stuck in the
shallow surf.
The workers from the stranding
center remained at the beach for an hour after the
rescue to make sure the two didn't return.
In all, more than 150 people took
part in the rescue.
Action News reporter John Rawlins
is in Sea Isle City and will have a live report on
Action News at 11.
(Copyright Action News and
6abc.com. All Rights Reserved)
Top of Page
Sea Isle City to reassess
properties
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Updated: Tuesday, July 18, 2006
SEA ISLE CITY — City Commission on Monday authorized a reassessment
of city properties, making it the second valuation of expensive
shore real estate here in fewer than five years.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio said the reassessment will bring property
values in line with their current worth following several years of
rocketing land values in shore communities.
Neighboring Avalon underwent a similar process last year.
The city's last revaluation was based on property values from 2003,
said George R. Brown III, Cape May County tax administrator.
The citywide revaluation in 2003 increased the city's tax base by
about $2.3 billion.
The county tax board hasn't officially ordered Sea Isle City to
revalue its properties, but Brown said it seemed to be something
coming down the road.
In Sea Isle City's case, assessments performed less than five years
apart do not require inspectors to examine the interiors of homes —
one of the most costly aspects of a revaluation, Brown said.
“I believe that's part of what prompted the (city's) assessor, not
just the rapidly rising values and high-end sale prices, but him
recognizing the need would arrive soon based on those sales, and
could save the city (money),” Brown said. “I think Sea Isle's taking
a pre-emptive step to try to get prepared.”
City Commission passed the $200,000 emergency appropriation to fund
the assessments, drawing criticism from the Sea Isle City Taxpayers
Association President Tom Henry, who said the expense should have
been included in the city's budget earlier this year.
Henry said the revaluation is a good idea, but that the city knew of
the situation several months before the budget passed and the
funding should have been included in the city's spending plan, which
directly affects taxes.
Desiderio said the city was already in its budget process when it
found out about the assessments.
The revaluation will be completed by 2007 and be included in the
2008 budget, Desiderio said.
To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press:BIanieri@pressofac.com
Top of Page
Sea
Isle City lighthouse might be on the move
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Thursday, June 15, 2006
Updated: Thursday, June 15, 2006
SEA ISLE CITY — To survive, the city's almost forgotten lighthouse
may take a journey on a sandy road it has been down before: It will
have to move.
The Friends of the Ludlum Beach Lighthouse have asked the city to
find them a place to temporarily store the 1885 lighthouse, which
literally lost its light in 1924 and has been a residence since.
City officials said they are helping find a spot for a possible
move.
But moving is what the old lighthouse is good at: It was moved twice
in the 20th century.
The house's owner planned to demolish the building at 3414 Landis
Ave. to make room for more modern accommodations, but said he will
donate it if someone
will transplant it.
Bob Uhrmann, founder of the Friends, said the group is looking for
possible lots to store the building.
But the lighthouse more resembles an old-fashioned shore rental than
picturesque lighthouse images on postal stamps and framed paintings.
Charles Adams, a Philadelphia schoolteacher who owned the residence
since 1993, said the building no longer looks like a lighthouse. He
wants to build a rental on the half-million dollar land that
currently brings in a fraction of what it could.
Adams said he would be willing to donate the building if the group
will have it moved, preferably within a year, he said.
“The city is seeing it as something they recognize it's something
they don't want in a landfill now. They see a need for it for the
health of the city and the community and the tourists,” Adams said.
Uhrmann said the lighthouse needs a temporary home to get it out of
Adams' way. They can convert it into a museum while searching for a
permanent location and seeking grant funds to restore it.
City Commissioner Angela Dalrymple was appointed as liaison to the
lighthouse group.
“The city hasn't really signed off on what they're going to do, but
certainly it's a step in the right direction,” Uhrmann said.
In 1924, the Ludlum Beach Lighthouse was stripped of its Fresnel
Lens, sold to the highest bidder, moved off the beach and converted
into a private residence.
In 1924, a local newspaper — acknowledging the lighthouse's apparent
demise — recognized it as one of the oldest buildings on the island.
The lighthouse was built in 1885 as a guide for mariners upon the
requests of city founder Charles K. Landis, according to documents
at the city's Historical Museum.
Eighteen years before its construction, a French ship carrying 150
passengers wrecked in a storm and killed three people, according to
a letter written by historian Jim Trainor, citing an old
Philadelphia Ledger newspaper. Another wreck unloaded a cargo of
citrus fruits and nuts, which washed up in bushels on the beach.
The former lighthouse was never really forgotten, but few knew about
it. Each year, some lighthouse buffs visit the residence and snap
photos. Last weekend, visitors stopped by from San Diego, Adams
said.
Phillip W. Bur III, a historian from Pennsylvania, wrote an account
of the lighthouse in 1999.
Uhrmann has seen the lighthouse's abiding presence in Sea Isle City
as fate.
The lighthouse was moved twice since 1924. If it were in its
original oceanfront location on 31st Street during the March 1962
storm, it may have been lost, he has said.
Lighthouses play a unique role in New Jersey's history, said Yvonne
Miller, first vice president of the New Jersey Lighthouse Society.
“Our children will never ever see these used again because of the
electronics used in shipping today. Europe saves its castles, we
want to save our lighthouses,” Miller said.
“People travel the world to see lighthouses and photograph them.”
Uhrmann said the group's goal is to move the building and then open
it as a museum while it seeks grants and funding. Eventually, the
group would like to reaffix the tower and light to make it resemble
its previous self.
“I think Sea Isle is starving for its history, and this is part of
it. All we need to do is find a suitable location. In my point of
view, the expense is not as much as the heritage it's going to leave
for the children,” City Commissioner James Iannone said. “I've
watched a lot of old properties go down with a lot of character, and
Sea Isle really needs some local point in terms of its history. We
really have a flavorful, colorful history, and to preserve it is
important.”
Whether the city plans to contribute any money to the efforts — or
even how much the whole thing may cost — is another story.
Iannone said, “It's obviously going to cost the city some money.
That on top of grants or matching funds from preservations groups.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio said, “we'll lend any assistance we can, but
we're not going to be putting any money into this.”
Uhrmann said there was no way to know how much it would cost — or
how long it would take — to move it, fund it, repair it and restore
it.
It could take a decade or two, he said
To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press:BIanieri@pressofac.com
Upper Twp. makes Strathmere storm plan
By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer, (609) 463-6712
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Tuesday, June 13,
2006
Updated: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
UPPER TOWNSHIP — As the first tropical storm of the season
approached Florida on Monday, the Township Committee about 900 miles
away made its own storm contingencies for Strathmere.
This narrow island is especially susceptible to flood problems this
season as the ocean tides from Corsons Inlet erode the county road
linking Strathmere to Ocean City. Adding to the island's
transportation woes, the Cape May County Bridge Commission last
month reduced the weight allowed on the Corsons Inlet toll bridge
from 9 to 3 tons.
This effectively restricts anything larger than a pickup truck from
using one of three exits off the island.
On Monday, the Township Committee drafted a resolution urging Cape
May County freeholders to provide two satellite telephones and
station a heavy Army-surplus truck at the Strathmere Volunteer Fire
Company to evacuate people during a coastal storm.
During past storms, Strathmere has been cut off from its southern
egress through Sea Isle City after tidal surges pushed sand onto
Commonwealth Avenue, the only road through town. But sand would not
be an obstacle to these heavy trucks.
“If there's a storm, Whale Beach could be washed out,” Mayor Richard
Palombo said.
The committee also formally approved the assignment of
emergency-medical technicians from the Upper Township Rescue Squad
to Strathmere's Beach Patrol headquarters this summer. The
technicians, who are already on duty daily in Strathmere from 10
a.m. to 6 p.m., will be able to respond quickly to any emergency on
or off the beach, the mayor said.
Palombo said the township plans to ask the county to contribute
money to pay for these workers. The township also donated $10,000
from its budget to the Sea Isle Ambulance Corps for providing mutual
aid to Strathmere residents while the weight limit is in place on
the bridge.
The committee wants the county or the Bridge Commission to place
better signs at both ends of the narrow bridge to give truck drivers
advance warning of the weight limit.
Finally, the committee wants the county to enforce the weight
restriction. Residents in Strathmere recently counted contracting,
delivery and privately owned Humvees that crossed the bridge
heedless of the weight limit.
“It's not being enforced. I don't even know why they have a
restriction,” Palombo said.
Meanwhile, the township's fire and rescue trucks are expressly
forbidden from using the bridge even during an emergency.
The Bridge Commission plans to reinforce the bridge and lift the
weight restriction by September, Palombo said.
Committeeman Curtis Corson Jr. said the township should lobby to get
one of its residents appointed to the Bridge Commission, a
quasi-governmental agency that oversees five toll bridges in Cape
May County.
Palombo said the township will urge early evacuations in Strathmere
as a precaution if a hurricane threatens southern New Jersey this
year.
“We're taking this very seriously,” he said.
To e-mail Michael Miller at The Press:MMiller@pressofac.com
Top of Page
Live radio in
Sea Isle will cost $25
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609)
463-6713
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Updated: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
SEA ISLE CITY — City Commission has introduced an ordinance that
would require permits for live radio broadcasts held outdoors on the
island.
City officials said the ordinance stems from complaints on Memorial
Day weekend at the Ocean Drive Bar & Restaurant, where an outdoor
morning radio broadcast upset some residents.
But the ordinance does not attempt to address the content of such
shows, including an outdoor broadcast of a Philadelphia-based show
featuring the topic “shore whores.” City officials said they don't
want to know what the topic of a show is beforehand.
Live radio broadcasts would require a $25 permit through the city
clerk's office. It would inform police that the event was taking
place, while restating an existing noise ordinance in the city,
Solicitor Paul Baldini said. It would also state that sidewalks need
to be kept clear.
If it were in effect several weeks ago, the law could have addressed
noise complaints beforehand, Baldini said.
“It would not address the concerns that people have in regard to
content,” Baldini said. He said it's not a permit issued based on
anyone's discretion or beliefs about decency.
The radio station that broadcast the May 26th show cannot be picked
up on local airwaves but was heard from the street, local officials
said.
“Radio broadcasts have been happening for years and years and years
in Sea Isle City and through the country,” said Ralph Pasceri,
co-owner of the Ocean Drive establishment. “It does seem a little
out of hand to try and regulate those, but if the city chooses to do
that, we'd be happy to comply.
“We take our neighbors and the town very seriously. We like to be
good neighbors and good citizens. We regret off-color commentary was
made,” he said.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio said the law is not attempting to regulate
freedom of speech, guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Desiderio said
several residents called police May 26 about a broadcast by WYSP-FM
94.1 in Philadelphia.
A representative from the radio station could not be reached Monday.
Responding to the complaints, Sea Isle City police arrived and the
bar owners moved the broadcast inside, Desiderio said.
Baldini said the ordinance will be up for a public hearing at 10
a.m. July 18 at the Townsends Inlet Civic Center.
The issue of outdoor broadcasting has been taken up by Town
Watch/Town Pride, a local watchdog group that had pressed the city
before on events it claims tarnished Sea Isle's reputation. In 2002,
the group opposed an annual morning bar event — dubbed Kegs and Eggs
— and the event was later voluntarily discontinued.
“We were just concerned about the general image of the city as the
content reflecting not being a family resort,” said Gerry Faiss, of
Town Watch/Town Pride
To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press:BIanieri@pressofac.com
Cape homeowner tilting
at DEP over windmill plan
By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer, (609) 463-6712
Published: Saturday, June 10, 2006
Updated: Saturday, June 10, 2006
UPPER TOWNSHIP — Steve Nickelsberg won local approval two years ago
to build a 40-foot-tall windmill in his backyard.
The windmill would power his bayfront Strathmere home with Atlantic
Ocean breezes instead of the township's coal-fired power plant.
But Nickelsberg said he is getting resistance from, of all agencies,
the state Department of Environmental Protection.
“I'm an environmentalist at heart. I'm also a pragmatist, too,” said
Nickelsberg, who owns an optical store in Ocean City.
Nickelsberg estimates the windmill will pay for itself in seven
years through his electric bill. Construction is expected to cost
about $25,000, but state “clean energy” grants will pick up 60
percent of the tab.
First, he has to get the blessing of the DEP. And in this Don
Quixote story, the DEP is the windmill.
Nickelsberg lives on the west side of Commonwealth Ave-nue, the main
road through town. His home has sweeping views of the bayside marsh
and the ocean, which is no exaggeration.
This is one of the narrowest parts of the island. A handful of
homes, including Nickelsberg's, line the only road here.
Nickelsberg went to the Zoning Board in 2004 seeking approval to
build the windmill over the objections of a couple of neighbors.
They were afraid the windmill would make a racket and obscure the
scenery, according to meeting minutes.
The board granted the variance and complimented Nickelsberg on his
use of a renewable resource.
Since then, he has been wrangling with the state agency for more
than a year. The latest snag is over soil tests that are part of the
wetlands delineation.
More than 1,000 people have taken advantage of solar power through
New Jersey's clean-energy program, but only a handful have erected
the kind of windmill Nickelsberg wants to build, said Doyal Siddell
of the Board of Public Utilities.
Nickelsberg's windmill will create too much vibration to put it on
his two-story home. So he plans to mount it on piling with six guy
wires also secured to piling in his marshy back yard.
The DEP is familiar with the coastal town of Strathmere. This little
spit of island has some of the most rigid construction restrictions
in the township. That does not keep people from trying. The DEP
regularly fines property owners for illegal construction here. The
DEP even stepped in when the Township Committee tried to replace its
lifeguard headquarters with a larger building without permits in
2003. The DEP issued two cease-and-desist orders halting
construction until the permits were sorted out.
Nickelsberg said neighbors, too, are familiar with coastal
construction rules. Sometimes, they are the ones who report illegal
construction, he said.
“I wouldn't have gotten any resistance building a shed. But a
windmill sticks out quite a bit. So we've gone through all the
proper procedures,” he said.
DEP spokeswoman Elaine Makatura said the coastal permits are
required for any project — including a windmill — that is built near
wetlands.
“It's something we'd ask of anyone. It's not unreasonable,” she
said. “It's good the end result will help the environment. But we
need to know what's there.”
But Nickelsberg said the agency could be less rigid given the
windmill's obvious benefit to the environment. Nickelsberg said his
home will use Atlantic City Electric just three months of the year,
thanks to the windmill. The rest of the year, the windmill will
generate surplus electricity that he can sell to the company for an
energy credit.
That means his home will not be to blame — indirectly — for air and
water pollution generated by the B.L. England power plant in
Beesleys Point. This plant provides the bulk of Cape May County's
electricity.
Nickelsberg said he is not giving up on his plans, despite the
regulatory obstacles.
“This has been a wonderful lesson in civics,” he said.
To e-mail Michael Miller at The Press:MMiller@pressofac.com
Top of Page
Some homeowners in Sea Isle
City oppose amusement park
By BRIAN IANIERIStaff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Press
of Atlantic City
Published: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Updated: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
— Alex Alexander bought a house in the northern end of the city for
its peacefulness.
It was unlike the Philadelphia resident's previous perception of
Jersey Shore resort towns as a conglomeration of boardwalks and
bells, she said.
She does not want the sounds, lights and traffic that would come
with an amusement park in that setting, she said.
“It's quiet. It's beautiful. It's one of the places left on the
Jersey Shore that's not commercial,” said Alexander, who splits time
between Philadelphia and Sea Isle City.
Kathryn Doyle and Alexander, who listed addresses in both Sea Isle
City and Philadelphia, sent Sea Isle City a letter opposing the
building an amusement park on Landis Avenue between Fifth and Sixth
streets.
Last month, Sea Isle City disclosed that an amusement park company,
Atlantic Pier Amusements, was interested in opening a park on a
former landfill.
City Commissioner James Iannone said the city is still waiting for
its requests for proposals from amusement companies that might want
to use the former landfill. Iannone said several companies have
expressed an interest.
“I think it's a wonderful idea, something we need,” he said.
Alexander's objections include increased traffic on Landis Avenue,
noise pollution, increased trash and negative impacts on property
values, according to the letter.
“I don't really want it in Sea Isle. I like the quietness, and the
fact it's about sailing, it's about swimming, it's about sitting on
the beach,” Alexander said. “It's pretty laid back.”
Alexander also said the two-lane Landis Avenue would be gridlocked
in the summer if amusement park traffic would have to compete with
the normal congestion.
About six years ago, the city lost Fun City, a popular family
recreation spot that was sold and developed.
Iannone said the city will take the letter into consideration.
The site had been looked at for a golf course but was too small for
a nine-hole course, Iannone said.
If the city does approve an amusement park at that site, it would
likely lease the land, perhaps for 30 years or longer, Iannone said.
In Sea Isle City,
still no resolution of 63-year-old title error
By JOHN CURRAN
Associated Press Writer
January 13, 2006, 9:58 AM EST
SEA ISLE CITY, N.J. -- Thrown into real estate limbo by a
63-year-old mistake, the owners of nine waterfront properties are
still waiting to reclaim legal title to them _ even though they've
owned the land for years.
The homeowners, who found out last spring that a 1942 mix up
rendered their property titles worthless, got a boost last month
when Gov. Richard J. Codey signed special legislation to address the
problem. But they're still waiting for the city, the state and their
title insurance companies to formally undo the damage wrought by the
bizarre sequence of events.
"The devil's in the details, though," said Brian Buckley, 49, of
West Chester, Pa., whose vacation home on 47th Place is among those
affected.
Buckley and the other homeowners were notified last spring that the
state _ not them _ actually owned the property under their houses
and condominiums, owing to a 1942 deal in which the city transferred
the finger-shaped piece of land to the state for the sole purpose of
dredging the waterway that surrounds it.
The idea was that the state would give the land back to the city
once the dredging was over. That never happened, but the city _
apparently believing it had _ sold the land to a developer, who
broke it up into lots and sold them in the 1960s.
The title defect went undetected for more than 60 years as the
properties were developed into vacation homes and year-round
residences. A title search performed on behalf of one of the
properties found the discrepancy, and last May, the state Bureau of
Tidelands Management sent letters to the owners delivering the bad
news.
"The State of New Jersey claims title to your entire property," it
said. "The State has concluded that your deed is not valid. This
title defect is a complete failure of your title."
The state Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees the
agency, has said it never intended to seize the properties, but that
they could not be given back because under state law, the state must
seek fair market value to sell its property.
The bill signed by Codey gave DEP the power to enter into agreements
with each homeowner under which they would get clear title to their
properties in exchange for an unspecified amount of money from the
title insurance companies, three or four parcels of undeveloped land
from the city and written assurances that the homeowners will not
sue the city or state.
The city plans to give three beachfront parcels and a vacant lot at
29th Street and Central Avenue, and is pushing the state to
guarantee that the land will remain open forever.
"The goal in all of this is to get clean title to the homeowners,
but there are certain parties that have obligations with respect to
these properties and the fact that these titles were not clear,"
said Peter Aseltine, a spokesman for the state Attorney General's
office, which is involved.
DEP, meanwhile, must sign agreements with each of the homeowners and
with the city, according to Elaine Makatura, spokeswoman.
"Once all of these agreements are implemented, we would then convey
deeds to the homeowners," she said.
In the meantime, the homeowners have little choice but to wait.
The biggest losers in the case so far may be Thomas and Dolly
Dowdell.
The retired couple was on the verge of selling their $885,000
condominium and moving to an Egg Harbor Township retirement
community when the situation developed. Without clear title to it,
they couldn't sell it, and without the proceeds, they couldn't go
through with their new home purchase.
"We lost our $5,000 deposit, and they won't give it back," said
Dolly Dowdell. "And the buyers for our property had to buy something
else. I'm very frustrated. I wish they'd settle this."
Mayor Len Desiderio said he expects the situation to be resolved by
the end of January. Others aren't so optimistic.
"The 47th Place situation has been a roller coaster," Desiderio
said. "We've had our ups and our downs. Just when we thought we'd
come to a conclusion, there were more bumps."
Sea Isle seeks signs for
shortcut into town
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Published: Thursday, December 29, 2005
Updated: Thursday, December 29, 2005
SEA ISLE CITY-The city has asked the New Jersey Turnpike Authority
for a sign instructing motorists of a Garden State Parkway shortcut
that many locals already know about.
The issue of finding a way into Sea Isle City from the parkway has
long been a sore subject.
There is no northbound exit to enter Sea Isle City or neighboring
Dennis Township. However, there is a southbound exit.
Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio said a sign should tell
vacationers about a shortcut involving a U-turn through a parkway
rest stop.
He revived an old issue during a meeting between the Turnpike
Authority and county officials recently regarding one-way tolls on
the parkway.
"As long as I had them at the table, I'd figured I'd bring up an old
request," Desiderio said.
In 1996, parkway officials erected a sign meant to make reaching Sea
Isle City easier.
The sign, which is still there, instructs northbound motorists
heading to Sea Isle City to get off at exit 13.
The route means driving through Avalon and 25 mph speed limits,
crossing the Townsends Inlet Bridge and then driving through much of
residential Sea Isle City.
Desiderio said the current sign is confusing, leaving vacationers
who take that exit with no further directions.
There's also a much faster route.
Motorists can make a U-turn at the Ocean View rest area and exit
from the southbound lane of the parkway at exit 17, which leads
directly into Sea Isle City.
On Wednesday in light traffic, a drive from Cape May Court House to
downtown Sea Isle City took about 20 minutes using the prescribed
route through Avalon.
Using the U-turn shortcut, however, the drive took about 12 minutes.
For years, the city wanted a sign indicating that the nearby parkway
rest stop can serve as a U-turn.
Previously, state officials have said that technique is too
dangerous, as motorists must cross two lanes of traffic to reach the
exit.
Cars must enter fast-moving parkway traffic from the left lane and
cross the two lanes within about half mile.
But Desiderio said exiting the rest stop is no different than
leaving any other parkway rest stop.
The issue has been dormant for several years.
Desiderio said it was worth presenting the idea again.
This time, there are also different officials in charge of the
parkway, he said.
"We've been doing this for generations here. ... All I want to do is
alert motorists to the loop," Desiderio said. "I don't believe it
would bring any more traffic because everybody's doing it now."
But Desiderio said it would make it easier on vacationers.
Turnpike Authority spokesman Joseph Orlando said Wednesday officials
were reviewing the request.
"We know the request has been made, and we're going to have the
engineers look into it, the feasibility in terms of traffic and
safety," Orlando said.
To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press: BIanieri@pressofac.com
Assembly OKs Sea Isle
City land measure
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Published: Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Updated: Tuesday, December 13, 2005For Brian Buckley, a state law
would be the greatest Christmas present of all.Buckley and eight
other homeowners at 47th Place in Sea Isle City are watching the
Legislature carefully as lawmakers are moving a bill that gives them
clear title to their properties.On Monday, the state Assembly
unanimously passed bill A4483, which would resolve the 63-year-old
land discrepancy that was only discovered recently.The bill also
must pass the state Senate and be signed by acting Gov. Richard J.
Codey.But legislators are faced with a lame-duck session. After Jan.
10, unfinished legislation must start from scratch, thus delaying
the process for homeowners nervous about where their land ownership
stands.On Dec. 1, 1st District lawmakers drafted bills in the
Assembly and Senate. On Thursday, the bill passed through the
Assembly's Environmental and Solid Waste Committee.A Senate vote
could happen Thursday at the earliest, said Assemblyman Jeff Van
Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic."It has to go this quickly if
it is to go lame duck," Van Drew said. "This is about as quickly as
a bill can move."The bill would allow Sea Isle City to trade two
parcels of city-owned land to the state Department of Environmental
Protection in exchange for 47th Place properties. The state has
owned the properties since 1942, when the city deeded the land to
the state for dredging. The state never returned the land, but the
city sold it in 1966.In May, the state notified homeowners of this
recently discovered discrepancy. During the past seven months, many
homeowners have been shocked, optimistic, disappointed, then
optimistic again.Last month, when a land-swap agreement appeared
ready to clear the matter, the state Attorney General's Office said
legislation was needed to authorize the deal."Things look good now,
but we've been thinking that since May," said Buckley, who lives in
Pennsylvania and owns the second floor of a duplex at 384 47th
Place. "So we're just hoping it finally goes through."The bill has
moved quickly so far, and Van Drew said there's a good chance it
will pass by Jan. 10. But there are always intangibles."This is a
big bureaucracy, and it's complex. There's always a possible
roadblock," Van Drew said. "It's that old saying, it's not done till
it's done."
To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press: - BIanieri@pressofac.com
New lifeguard
headquarters planned for Sea Isle City
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Published: Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Updated: Wednesday, December 14, 2005SEA ISLE CITY-The city expects
to build a $2 million lifeguard headquarters throughout the summer
and open it by 2007.Sea Isle City will use temporary trailers next
year as makeshift headquarters, Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard
Desiderio said.The plans for the beachfront building, which will
replace existing headquarters on 44th Street, include a three-port
garage, meeting rooms, locker rooms, offices and public
restrooms.Desiderio said the plans would go to the city's Planning
Board early next year. The city must also receive state
environmental permits.The city will demolish the headquarters, built
in the 1960s, once it receives the approvals, Desiderio
said.Desiderio said original plans called for a storage facility for
the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol but were too expensive for just that
purpose. The beach patrol needed a new facility to replace its aging
building, he said.The new headquarters will be larger, will include
public restrooms and offer a separate office for the beach patrol
captain.Beach patrol Capt Renny Steele's desk is located near the
entrance door of the building. As a result, he's being asked
questions from the public about general information, such as beach
tags, Desiderio said."He's more or less spending a lot of his time
answering questions when he could be doing his other duties," he
said.Steele could not be reached Tuesday.The public restrooms would
be similar to a 40th Street facility Sea Isle City built in 1998-99
that includes stations for changing diapers, Desiderio said.Sea Isle
City will borrow about $1.4 million for the project.While the city
has intended to replace the headquarters, an October storm that
brought the effects of Hurricane Wilma may have sealed the deal. The
storm peeled off portions of the roof.The city will not repair the
roof because the building will not be used again, Desiderio
said.Desiderio said the temporary trailers would likely be located
near the existing 44th Street facility or near JFK Boulevard, which
serves as the main artery into the city. He said beach patrol
officials are comfortable with the temporary arrangement."The bottom
line is we're not going to jeopardize the safety of our visitors or
our residents just to build this building," he said. "They're going
to be as safe as they've ever been."
To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press: - BIanieri@pressofac.com
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