Residents and second homeowners please attend and have your voice heard!
This letter is to provide you with written notification that Ocean Wind, LLC (Ocean Wind 1) will hold a public hearing on Monday, October 3, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. at the Flanders Hotel, located at 719 E 11th St, Ocean City, New Jersey. The purpose of the hearing will be to receive public comment on the proposed diversion of an approximately +/- 0.647-acre portion of Ocean City-owned parkland. The affected properties owned by the City are as follows:
- Block 6111, Lots 137 and 145 – Beach lots at the end of 35th Street
- Block 3500, Lot 1 (Including riparian grant) – Beach lot south of Block 611.11, Lot 137
- Block 3350.01, Lot 17 – North of Roosevelt Boulevard Bridge
As to said lands, Ocean Wind 1 has filed a petition with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) pursuant to N.J.S.A. 48:3-87.1(f)(2) to acquire, among other things, permanent rights of way and easements needed to install an underground cable in connection with its proposed Ocean Wind 1 Offshore Wind Farm Project (Project). Once complete, the Project will fulfill the requirements of the State’s Offshore Wind Economic Development Act, which mandates the development of a minimum of 1,100 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind resources. The Project will also contribute to meeting the goals of both Executive Order 8 (2018), which set a goal of 3,500 MW of renewable energy by 2030, and Executive Order 92, which in November 2019 increased the goal to 7,500 MW by 2035. Additional information about the Project may be found at: www.OceanWindOne.com.
The lands listed above are encumbered by State of New Jersey Green Acres restrictions. Based on the filing of the BPU petition, an application for the major diversion of said lands has been submitted by Ocean Wind 1 to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Green Acres Program, for approval by the Department’s Commissioner and by the State House Commission. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 48:3-87.1(f)(2), Ocean Wind 1 proposes to pay to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, a local government unit, or a qualifying tax-exempt nonprofit organization $205,000.00 to be used for the acquisition of 1.941 acres of replacement land, which is three times the area proposed for diversion.
At the public hearing you may appear in person in order to comment on the proposed diversion or, in the alternative, you may submit written comments by October 17, 2022 to Tom Suthard at Orsted Ocean Wind 1, 600 Atlantic Ave., Suite 2, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 or Info@OceanWind.com. Please reference “Proposed Diversion” in the subject line. A copy of any written comments must also be submitted to the Green Acres Program at PublicLandCompliance@dep.nj.gov. Please include “Ocean Wind 1” in the subject line. Email comments are preferred, but comments may also be mailed to: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Green Acres Program, Bureau of Legal Services and Stewardship, 401 East State Street, 7th Floor, Mail Code 401-07B, P.O. Box 420, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0420 Attn: Ocean Wind 1 Application.
Copies of the diversion application are available to the public for inspection at Ocean City, City Hall, located at 861 Asbury Ave, Ocean City, New Jersey and at the Ocean City Free Public Library, located at 1735 Simpson Ave, Ocean City, New Jersey. The diversion application can also be accessed online through New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s website at https://dep.nj.gov/otpla/diversion-application-information-page-ocean-city-ocean-wind-project/.
Flanders Hotel
719 East 11th Street
Ocean City, New Jersey 08226
6:00 PM
