Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Ethics Board on the line, $22,414 of car washing, a new city department, yellow pine for the boardwalk and more.
City Council has a full agenda for its public meeting 7 p.m. Thursday (April 25) at the Ocean City Free Public Library, but here are five things that might be of special interest (see attached PDF for supporting detail on all agenda items): The agenda also includes items that would allow demolition work on storm-damaged structures during the summer, would revise a city ordinance to conform with single-stream recycling and would make appointments to the Environmental and Utilities Advisory Commissions.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Schilling Estate, south-end beaches, credit-card parking, elevation guidelines and a potential new marina.
City Council has a full agenda for its public meeting 6:30 p.m. Thursday (March 14) at the Ocean City Free Public Library. But here are five things that might be of special interest. While the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m., City Council is expected to go into a private executive session with the public portion of the meeting expected to resume at the usual 7 p.m. (See attached PDF for supporting documentation on all agenda items.)
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
A home at the corner of 52nd Street and Simpson Avenue illustrates the process of elevating a home.
As thousands of property owners consider elevating their homes after Superstorm Sandy and ahead of federal flood insurance premium increases, Ocean City is beginning to see the first examples of houses on the rise. One dramatic illustration can be found at the corner of E. 52nd Street and Simpson Avenue in the Ocean City Homes neighborhood. Adrian Johnson, a representative of SJ Hauck House Movers of Egg Harbor Township, the contractor for the job, offers a quick summary of the process: Johnson said the entire job — including pile driving — might typically cost in the $20,000 to $40,000 range, depending on the size of the home, the complexity of the job and the room they have to work with. The home at 52nd Street is part of a "V Zone" on …
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E 52nd St & Simpson Ave, Ocean City, NJ
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Sunday, March 3, 2013
City Council passes the first reading of an amended zoning ordinance designed to help owners rebuild after Sandy.
In a world a little farther above sea level, nothing seems to fit. As homeowners and contractors begin to consider elevating homes to meet new guidelines for flood safety, stairs would stretch into side yards and a host of other zoning issues would be raised along with the homes. City Council on Thursday passed the first reading of an amended ordinance drafted to help homeowners rebuild in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, which struck on Oct. 29 and left Ocean City buried under record flood levels. The ordinance was designed "to quickly address zoning issues in the new world of ABFE maps," City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson told City Council. New Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) maps require substantially damaged homes to be rebuilt at…
Thursday, February 28, 2013
City Council will vote on amendments that clarify rules for rebuilding and elevating after Superstorm Sandy.
City Council has a full agenda for its public meeting 7 p.m. tonight (Feb. 28) at the Ocean City Free Public Library. But details on one proposed ordinance were released on Wednesday. Council will consider amendments to zoning ordinances that address building heights and elevations. The ordinance is especially relevant in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy as homeowners repair damage and consider elevating their homes. The full text of the proposed ordinance is attached to this story as a PDF, but here is the summary of the changes provided by the city: Ordinance #13-07 Summary 2013 Residential Mechanical Section 1 – Permits buildings with nonconforming setbacks to elevate to BFE/ZFE without variance approval Section 2 – Redefines Attic …
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Ocean City Free Public Library
1735 Simpson Ave, Ocean City, NJ
/articles/council-to-consider-revised-elevation-guidelines-tonight
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Sunday, February 24, 2013
The resident-led organization wants to challenge FEMA's flood maps.
Grassroots organization Stop FEMA Now held a recent meeting in Toms River in Ocean City to discuss the Federal Emergency Management Agency's new advisory base flood elevation maps and their implications for residents along New Jersey's coast. Though the combination meet and great and rally ended early after being shut down by police because of safety concerns due to overcrowding of the meeting location, residents were able to share concerns and some answers regarding the flood maps.
The Saturday afternoon meeting changed venues once but was shut down by Toms River police after large crowds showed up.
A meeting by a grassroots organization dedicated to opposing the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) flood maps was shut down by Toms River police Saturday after being overwhelmed by large crowds. The group, Stop FEMA Now, is hoping its unified voice will reach elected officials and encourage them to speak out against FEMA's Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps, which were recently adopted by the State. If the maps aren't changed, thousands of residents along New Jersey's coasts will be required to elevate their homes or face potentially financially-crippling flood insurance premiums in the years go come. After its meeting last week saw about 25 people show up to Belly Busters Subs for a brief discussion, organizers were optimistic …
Friday, February 15, 2013
An advisory flood map suggests many bayside Ocean City properties are at risk of damage from ocean waves.
City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to approve a contract with a consultant to help revise a federal flood map that suggests a substantial portion of Ocean City could suffer damage from ocean waves during powerful storms — even properties several blocks from any body of water. Council approved a $63,960 contract with Atkins North America, Inc., to help the city work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as it refines its Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) map. At issue, is a map that will ultimately determine zones for building guidelines (at what elevation homes must be constructed) and flood insurance premiums. The advisory version of the map, released in January in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, places …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The state Department of Environmental Protection answers "Frequently Asked Questions" about requirements for elevating homes in aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
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Thursday, February 14
The following is a news release from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. A printable version is attached to this article as a PDF (click on the PDF icon at right). FLOOD ELEVATION FAQs: New Jersey’s Emergency Flood Elevation Rule Updated February 12, 2013 In order to better protect lives and property following Superstorm Sandy and other major recent flooding events, the state has adopted emergency amendments to New Jersey’s Flood Hazard Area Control Act rules that establish minimum elevation standards for the reconstruction of houses and buildings in areas that are in danger of flooding. The following FAQs answer some of the most common questions and will help you determine if you need to elevate and get you started …
Friday, February 8, 2013
For owners of homes not substantially damaged by the storm, waiting for final flood maps and flood insurance rates could help in making decision.
With a flood map still in flux and flood insurance premium increases still not set, property owners may have too little information to make an informed decision on whether to rebuild their homes at a higher elevation, according to state officials and local insurance agents. Record flooding from Superstorm Sandy on Oct. 29 caused billions of dollars worth of damage to the coastlines of New Jersey and New York, and in the aftermath of the storm, many owners are wondering if they will be required to elevate their homes. This much is known: Emergency rules adopted by New Jersey on Jan. 24 require new and substantially reconstructed (where the cost of restoration equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the …
Bob
11:33 pm on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
WJS, Most things I've read by Dr. Farrell and people who I have talked to, who have talked to him, say that it isn't unique to the south end of Ocean City and that's something that applies to the entire State's coastline. We're spoiled with the middle parts of the town actually responding well to beach replenishment... it's a model project for the state, but it's really the exception, not the … more ›