CAPE MAY — City Council is seeking New Jersey Department of Community Affairs funding through the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for as much as $400,000 to support continued ADA compliance projects, including at the Emlen Physick Estate and the Cape May Tennis Center.
The project includes a handicapped-accessible bathroom and parking, a ramp to the pavilion and accessible pathways at the city-owned tennis complex. The idea is to create a continuous walkway through Kiwanis Park, past the Physick Estate and back out to Washington Street.
Mark Blauer of Blauer Associates presented council with additional grant information during its meeting Feb. 17. The application deadline for the CDBG is March 11.
“We’re looking at roughly a $400,000 grant application for hard cost, construction and the balance of cost for the HMR architects and for Engineering Design Associates, which would be the city’s local match,” Blauer said.
The city previously received a Small Cities Grant of $270,672 with a 10 percent match.
“The [tennis club] project is designed and nearing the point where we’re going to bid the fiscal 2024-25 funds,” Blauer said. “The idea is to improve the restroom facilities to make them fully ADA compliant, an existing need that’s not met yet.”
Blauer added that the improvements are part of the city’s larger project to improve the Physick Estate. He said the rough cost of the project is $298,000.
“The expectations will apply to the grant fund for the construction, with the city paying the architect the balance of roughly $130,000 that would be available in the potential grant we’ll be using for ADA-compliant street improvements at various intersections.”
The city has ongoing efforts to improve streets, including ADA compliance. Blauer said Elmira Street is one that comes to mind, and other streets will be suggested as the project moves along.
Resident Jules Rauch asked if the city has an obligation to pay the architectural fees.
“We’ll be able to split that up depending on what we do with the project, of how we spend that match,” Blauer answered.
Rauch asked if the Physick Estate has obligations for the architectural expenses.
“They’re already under way for their process, so in most likelihood, I will probably not be utilizing their architectural design services as match,” Blauer said. “They are doing additional construction services that are broader in scope than just our singular project.”
Blauer added that he would probably use Engineering Design Associates because his design is a larger portion.
“The reason I ask this question is we’ve tried to be very clear with all of our non-profits that the expenses [they] incur are not the city taxpayers’ expenses,” Rauch said. “I ask that we’d be careful in assuming any responsibility for the expenses that are directly attributed to the Physick Estate.”
Blauer said the minimum match obligation is $40,000. If they spend more, he said it makes it more competitive.
“The reason I try to put the professional fees in the match is that it avoids losing three months on advertising for professional services,” Blauer said. “To do it the way the DCA wants, it takes a good two to three months of a process to pay for the professional fees out of local funds.”
City Manager Paul Dietrich said the design fees will not be the city’s costs but will be borne by the Physick Estate. He said the renovation process began when Cape May MAC submitted an application to the county Open Space Board for funds to retrofit.
“We looked at parlaying some of our ADA money into ADA accessibility and bathrooms at the Physick Estate,” Dietrich said. “It’s only going to cover the portion that would be construction. They will handle all their own design fees and construction management for their portion of the project.”
Dietrich added that he felt comfortable there would be sufficient match money to cover what’s required for the grant.
“I want to make clear that the city is not going to be responsible for paying or attributing any of our city funds, whether match or otherwise, toward the architectural fees of the project,” Dietrich said.
Blauer added that the street improvements are a cost to the city.
Previous DCA funding
Other past DCA Small Cities grants the city has received include ADA compliance improvements at Kiwanis Park, ramps at the Mount Vernon beach entrance and beach mats last summer.
“This program is [the one] we’ve used for the last five consecutive years to obtain grants for various improvements in the city,” Blauer said, adding he works with Dietrich and engineer Vince Orlando to come up with project ideas in which to apply for grants.
Blauer said the city has received about $1.5 million in DCA grants in the past five years.
