WEST CAPE MAY — The borough has received a $700,000 local infrastructure grant to help fund its share of the pedestrian bridge project.
“They gave us the grant for $700,000, so now we have $785,000 for the project,” West Cape May Deputy Mayor Dick George said Oct. 8. “Basically, the bridge is paid for if we get our permits, and is all paid for by grants at this point.”
The project, which would connect the borough’s West Grant Street with First Avenue in Cape May, is not welcomed by all. At least one family in the neighborhood has been critical of the proposal.
Cape May residents Wilma and Joe Balent wrote to the Cape May Star and Wave expressing “deep concern over the proposed pedestrian/bike bridge over Canal Creek.”
They stated that the road is the site of frequent turnarounds as drivers look for parking or think it’s a through street, requiring a three-point turn.
In addition, the letter stated that the bridge access would be “dangerously close” — about 30 feet — to parking from two sets of driveways that each holds eight cars.
“These 16 cars must back out directly onto the proposed bridge lane to exit their homes,” they wrote.
The Balents stated the road is busy with beachgoers, renter check-outs and check-ins, cleaners, linen delivery trucks, bicycle rental drop-offs and trash trucks.
“It’s nonstop on Saturdays but clearly is very busy all week long as our town and beaches are fabulous,” they stated. “On paper this seems like a great solution, but it is not.”
Borough engineer Lia Domico reported on unfinished road and infrastructure projects during the Board of Commissioners meeting.
Domico said the Myrtle Avenue sanitary sewer project is in its final leg and is projected to be finished by Dec. 1.
“The sanitary sewer laterals have been installed,” she said. “They are finishing up with the storm installation and temporary pavement.”
The pavement needs a month to settle before the project can be officially closed out.
Over the winter, the borough will repave Bayshore Road from Stimpson Lane to New England Road, as well as update storm sewers on North/Stevens on Bayshore up to Stimpson Lane.
When completed, Sunset Boulevard will be repaved, and the borough aims to finish the project before spring.
Finance assistant Lauren Vitelli explained two new projects to update the borough and create more cost-effective systems.
The department is working with Atlantic City Electric to upgrade streetlights, as the current ones are old and becoming costly to repair.
The utility company provided two options for new streetlights. One would have a greater initial payment but a lower monthly payment, but the borough would be responsible for all repairs. The second option would have a lower initial payment with a higher monthly payment.
“I recommend the second option, which is the more costly one,” Vitelli said. “Atlantic City Electric does all the maintenance and they replace anything that needs to be replaced. We’d have to budget for it, and it would save us about $20,000 a year in costs for the streetlights.”
The borough has 167 streetlights and spends between $5,000 and $7,000 a year on maintenance.
She explained that the light’s color would be 3,000 on the color temperature scale. The LED bulbs would not increase light pollution because most of the lights are cobra-head style, which are dark-sky compliant.
The borough is researching new phone systems for the municipal buildings.
“Our current phone system is no longer able to receive updates,” Vitelli said. “The most important thing is that the old system makes us vulnerable to security issues like hacking.”
Comcast is offering to upgrade the borough’s phones to the newest system. The borough can end its work with Verizon and AT&T by partnering with Comcast, and all phone services would be under one company.
She said that would result in an average savings of $7,000. There is no out-of-pocket cost and the cost would be $900 per month for 36 months. The borough currently averages $1,600 a month on phone expenses.
The Public Works building, Borough Hall and firehouse would also receive new systems.
“This is monitored by Comcast 24 hours a day, and if they see something weird going on, they not only alert us, but they take care of it in-house and then alert our IT,” Vitelli said. “It’s nice having that other layer of security.”
Dick attended Cape May’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee meeting, where the board created regulations for E-bike safety.
“We had a discussion on how to handle Cape Island and came to an agreement with the Cape May Police Department, Cape May and West Cape May,” Dick said. “We came up with an ordinance that has rules for the whole island. It’s consistent and easier for the police to enforce. It basically gives the rules of the road for electric bikes, electric scooters and golf carts.”
The rules would require riders to wear helmets and follow traffic laws and would prohibit riding on sidewalks. It would include penalties for scofflaws — a $100 fine for a first offense and $200 fine subsequent offenses.
By JULIA DiGERONIMO and CRAIG D. SCHENCK/For the Star and Wave
