Dear Friends,
City Council on Sept. 14 will consider the second reading of an ordinance to adopt new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). The existing maps are from 1984. Since then, FEMA has issued updated advisory maps that apply to new construction and substantially renovated homes in Ocean City but not to flood insurance premiums. The new measure will eliminate a lot of confusion and serve as a blueprint for the future.
Our local insurance agents tell us the new maps should not create any substantial change for any flood insurance policy holder in Ocean City. All of the beach towns in Cape May County plan to adopt them. Our construction office already enforces the new standard, and the new maps would not change which homes are required to be elevated.
The new maps do place a small number of bayside homes in a “Coastal A” zone. The only effect there would be for new construction or substantially renovated homes (work that costs more than 50 percent of the value of a structure). The designation requires construction techniques to limit potential damage from “wave action.” The proposed maps are available for the public to review online at www.ocnj.us/flood-Hazards-Maps/ and at the Knight Building at 12th Street and Haven Avenue.
I will hold a town hall meeting at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning (Saturday, Aug. 26) to share information about a major road and drainage at the north end. Representatives of Michael Baker International Company will discuss their proposed design and the anticipated schedule for completing the project. Please share this invitation with anybody who lives in the area. As with all major projects, questions and feedback from neighbors are vital to the success of the work.
Finally, I ask everybody to use caution in the ocean and to watch your children. The weather is beautiful, but this is the time of year when the water can get rough with passing storms. Check our list of guarded beaches, which does include some seasonal closings: www.ocnj.us/ocbp.
Warm regards,
Jay A. Gillian
Mayor
