Dear Friends,
A 7-year-old boy was struck by a car this morning while crossing Bay Avenue near 18th Street. The incident remains under investigation, but it’s a sobering reminder of the importance of traffic safety for both drivers and pedestrians. I’m told the boy is in stable condition at Cooper Medical Center. I hope you all will join me in saying prayers for him and his family. I also urge you all to use extreme caution on our busy summer roads, to follow all traffic laws, to pay attention and to go slow.
A number of North End residents have requested that the beach along Great Egg Harbor Inlet be added to the routes for our beach-raking equipment. I’ve been informed that the area between the groin at Seaspray Road and the toll bridge is part of a protected zone designated by the state Department of Environmental Protection, so raking the beach there is strictly prohibited.
Work crews are almost finished creating a downtown resting spot between City Hall and Yianni’s Café. Commemorative pavers that were displaced by nearby crosswalk and sidewalk improvements have been moved to the new downtown courtyard, where benches and tables will be added.
I want to remind you of information I sent in two separate updates earlier this week.
The owners of the former car dealership lot adjacent to the Ocean City Community Center have generously agreed to allow the city to use their property for parking. This benefits patrons of the Ocean City Free Public Library, Arts Center, Historical Museum, Aquatics and Fitness Center and nearby neighborhood who were accustomed to using the property for overflow parking when the Community Center lots were full. “No Parking” signs had been posted recently. With a city certificate of insurance now in place, parking there can resume. Our Public Works team has already striped lines for parking spaces.
In the Fourth Ward neighborhood drainage project, work will continue through the summer on the installation of pumping stations. Two of the four planned stations (at 30th and Haven and adjacent to the Ocean City Municipal Airport parking lot) are in place and equipment is being installed. Work on a pumping station and pipeline on airport property at the end of 28th Street will be next, followed by work on the final pumping station adjacent to Clubhouse Lagoon off Bayland Drive.
An interconnection with the old drainage network that was allowing tidal waters to flood Haven Avenue at 29th Street and 30th Street has been identified. New check valves to address the issue have been ordered and should be installed within a month. In the interim, temporary plugs will be installed to prevent this flooding during exceptionally high tides (including during new moon tides around August 10 and 11). These plugs must be removed to allow rain water to drain, so the neighborhood may experience a small amount of high-tide flooding when they’re not in place. For more information, see www.ocnj.us/projectupdate.
Finally, I want to encourage all local boat owners to consider joining our 64th annual Night in Venice boat parade at 7 p.m. July 28. The event is always a great time. For more information and to register to participate, visit www.ocnj.us/niv.
Warm regards,
Jay A. Gillian
Mayor
