Flood-Control Project for Merion Park to Start by Year's End

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Anita Messina said her bayside Merion Park neighborhood has avoided major flooding in the past few years, but she is not sure how much longer that will last. As a reminder, she pointed to Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and all the flooding damage it caused to her home on Oxford Lane. "I had my house raised. Water got inside," she said of her decision to have her home elevated after Sandy swamped Merion Park and other parts of Ocean City. Messina was relieved Saturday to hear that the city is moving ahead with an estimated $10 million project to build three new stormwater pumping stations and other measures to protect Merion Park from flooding. Ocean City officials announced during a town hall meeting organized by Fourth Ward Councilman Dave Winslow that bids for the project will go out in October and that construction is expected to begin by year's end. Vince Bekier, director of the city's Operations and Engineering Department, called the project "huge" in terms of its importance for the flood-prone Merion Park neighborhood. Messina, a resident of Merion Park since 1979, expressed hope that the project will dramatically reduce flooding, but she is also taking a wait-and-see approach. "You hope it will save property. But will it work? You never know," she said in an interview. Flood-mitigation work will begin in Merion Park by the end of 2023. This is actually the second phase of a flood-mitigation project in Merion Park that began in 2014 with the construction of three pumping stations to clear stormwater from the neighborhood. Bekier said the first three pumping stations have worked well. The city will build three more pumping stations in the next phase. They are planned along the 34th Street-Roosevelt Boulevard entryway between the foot of the 34th Street Bridge and Bay Avenue, Bekier said. Other improvements that are planned include new drainage pipes, road reconstruction to raise the streets, landscaped berms that would act as flood barriers and new gutters, curbs and sidewalks. In an interview after the meeting, Bekier said the project is tentatively scheduled to be completed by late 2024. The city is seeking federal funding to help with the cost, he noted. Separate from the city's project, Cape May County is planning to elevate the roadway along the Roosevelt Boulevard-34th Street corridor by 18 inches to help reduce flooding on the artery linking Ocean City and Marmora. The 34th Street corridor in Ocean City will be elevated by Cape May County as another flood-protection measure. The city and county will coordinate their plans to avoid possible conflicts. The county project is expected to begin after the city starts construction on the Merion Park drainage work, city officials said. The Roosevelt Boulevard-34th Street corridor is the second-busiest gateway into Ocean City, behind the state-owned Route 52 Causeway-Ninth Street Bridge in the center of town. On average, 20,000 vehicles each day cross the 34th Street Bridge, the most heavily traveled bridge in the county network. According to plans, the Roosevelt Boulevard-34th Street artery will be raised along a 1.6-mile stretch from Bay Avenue in Ocean City to the Garden State Parkway entrance in Marmora. In Ocean City, the county will also raise the roadways around the Acme supermarket at 34th Street, as well as the intersections of West Avenue and 34th, 35th, 36th and 37th streets, according to a summary of the project. Mayor Jay Gillian, who also spoke during the Fourth Ward meeting, assured the nearly 50 residents in the audience at the American Legion Post 524 headquarters that the city is committed to "keep on going" with the Merion Park project. Mayor Jay Gillian describes plans for a series of projects in the Fourth Ward. Gillian and other senior members of his administration also briefed the audience on a series of other previously announced projects for the Fourth Ward. They include:

• A beach replenishment project that will get underway in the fall between 45th Street and 59th Street.
• A makeover for the Tennessee Avenue boat ramp that will include new ramps, a new bulkhead and elevating the public parking area to protect it from flooding.
• A facelift for the city's playground on 34th Street, including new basketball, tennis and pickleball courts and better bathrooms.
• Conceptual plans to build a new terminal at Ocean City Municipal Airport with a combination of city funding, federal grants and a private $3 million donation from Ocean City's Berger Realty owner Leon Grisbaum.

Also during the meeting, Winslow introduced himself to the audience as the new Fourth Ward councilman. He handed out his business card and urged residents to call him for any issues in town, particularly involving the Fourth Ward. "I represent you on City Council. The more information you give me, the more I can take action and represent you," he told the audience. Fourth Ward Councilman Dave Winslow presents his predecessor, Bob Barr, with a gift to thank him for his service on Council. Winslow was appointed by Council in August to temporarily fill a vacancy created by the resignation of former Fourth Ward Councilman Bob Barr, who left the governing body to become a Cape May County Commissioner. Winslow will run unopposed in the November election to fill Barr's unexpired term through June 30, 2024, because no other candidates submitted nominating petitions. Barr was at the Fourth Ward meeting Saturday to express his thanks to local residents for their support during his time on Council. "No matter where I go, it was the greatest honor I had," Barr said of his time serving the Fourth Ward. Winslow presented Barr with a parting gift to recognize his service on Council. Barr, who endorsed Winslow to replace him on Council, assured residents that Winslow will be a "fierce advocate" for the Fourth Ward. "I ask you to give him the same kindness you gave me," Barr said. "I know he will do his best."