Southend Beach Replenishment on Track to Begin Around Labor Day

The south end beach replenishment project is on schedule to begin around Labor Day, Ocean City Business Administrator Mike Dattilo told council at its meeting Thursday night at the library.

In the interim, the beaches are in good shape, Dattilo said.

“We’ve been monitoring the beaches and they took a little nick in the most recent storm, but it’s not much,” Dattilo said. “There’s been some erosion the last couple of storms, but nothing alarming.”

He said the south end is in fairly good shape, and that the elevation’s as high as it has been “in many years.”

He said the city continues to monitor the beaches daily, and it may have to bring in material from other beaches. He said the city will wait until the ocean stabilizes before bringing in new sand.

“There’s no reason anyone should change their vacation plans,” Dattilo said.

He was referring to an email that members of council and the city’s administration received from a real estate agent claiming he’s had cancellations due to the condition of the beaches.

“I’ve been here since 1963 and it’s not as bad as I’ve seen it and it’s not as good as I’ve seen it,” Councilman Scott Ping said. “For anyone to cancel their reservations is beyond me. … I don’t understand why some people are sensationalizing what’s going on down there. There’s no reason for it.”

The Army Corps of Engineers will handle the replenishment. The replenishment includes Ocean City, Strathmere and Sea Isle City, and is known as the New Jersey Shore Protection, Great Egg Harbor Inlet to Townsends Inlet project.

The project is designed to replenish beaches eroded by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. It will be covered by federal funding, which Council President Anthony Wilson said the city is still waiting for as of Thursday night.

“I’ve had beach permits since I was 20 years old,” Wilson said. “It’s not awful. We just have to ask everyone to be patient. It’s a multi-million dollar project and we’re waiting for federal funding.”