North Wildwood's steel bulkhead emergency construction underway

NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. (CBS) -- Emergency construction is underway to construct a steel bulkhead in North Wildwood to protect the city's beach patrol headquarters off 15th Avenue.

The $400,000 project started after a hole formed in the dunes that protect the town from storm surge.

"[Ophelia] created a lot of tidal flooding, very large waves," Mayor Patrick Rosenello said. "Just a constant pounding along the beach and the dune system."

Mayor Rosenello said the hole's formation led the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to grant the city an emergency authorization to construct the steel bulkhead.

It came following a lengthy legal battle between the city and DEP over whether to build the structure.

"We finally have some serious protection at this location," Mayor Rosenello said. "Unfortunately, it took the dune breaching for the DEP to approve this bulkhead, but it's in, and that's the important thing."

DEP said despite the authorization, the city still needs to provide it with critical documents, and the city could still face punishment after the agency cited it for multiple violations related to the city's construction activity along the beach.

Mayor Rosenello said city staff remain in constant communication with DEP representatives. But because the hole in the dunes is so large, water can still get around it and enter town.

It's also still hurricane season and with climate change causing warmer oceans, it can fuel stronger hurricanes.

"We have any type of intense coastal storm, that hole in the dune is just going to be a floodgate right into the city," Mayor Rosenello said.

That's why he plans to ask DEP to extend the bulkhead and connect it to a nearby dune.

Kathleen Hahn supports the bulkhead's construction.

"I think it's a great idea because our beaches are washing away with all the erosion and the storms," Hahn said. "Thumbs up, I think it's a great idea."

DEP issued the following statement to CBS Philadelphia regarding the bulkhead:

"The Division of Land Resource Protection ("Division") is conditionally authorizing the installation of a steel bulkhead located to the south, east and a small portion northeast of the City of North Wildwood's (City) Beach Safety Patrol Building located at 15th Avenue under this Emergency Authorization (EA). The proposed EA activities proposed in the City's September 12, 2023 EA request are shown on plans listed as follows: "PLAN OF PROPOSED EMERGENCY BEACH FRONT BULKHEAD AT LIFEGUARD BUILDING CITY OF NORTH WILDWOOD CAPE MAY COUNTY, N.J., Sheet 1 or 2, prepared by Van note-Harvey Associates, Inc., signed 9/20/23, last revised 9/21/23.   As outlined in a letter sent by the Division on August 4, 2023 (attached), this EA is issued in recognition that the City has not yet submitted all information required for the Division to complete review of the City's CAFRA Individual Permit for a bulkhead. In light of continued erosion which has worsened conditions at this location recently, the Division has determined an EA is appropriate to prepare this location for hurricane season.

There are conflicting proposed lengths of the bulkhead shown on the plan (200 linear feet (LF) on the detail cited as the "Enlargement of Bulkhead" vs 180 LF on the main plan detail).  Based on the Department's measurements from the plan, it appears that the bulkhead is approximately 190 LF which includes the two sections of the proposed 9.5 LF of bulkhead installed perpendicular to the Mean High Water line ("wingwalls"). The constructed bulkhead length should not exceed 190 LF.  

Once installed, the Division will continue to monitor the performance of the emergency bulkhead and if it is determined that the wingwalls are exacerbating end effect erosion to adjacent special areas, the Department may require measures to reduce erosion as a condition of the required CAFRA permit legalizing the activity. This could possibly include, among other things, installation of rock within the area of the wingwalls or other areas to absorb wave energy/reduce wave refraction.  

It should be noted that the above-referenced plans which depict the emergency work do not constitute or imply NJDEP approval or legalization of any previous disturbance of any special areas on the site (i.e., beach/dune/wetlands, etc.) or any existing structures on the site/shown on the plans which were constructed without prior authorization by the Department.  NJDEP permit authorization is required for any previous regulated work or installation of structures that is reflected on these plans. Nothing in this EA should be construed as legalizing the violations cited in the pending DEP enforcement actions against NWW. DEP waives none of its claims in those matters and reserves all enforcement authority."

In:
• New Jersey
• Erosion
• Wildwood NJ