North Wildwood sues N.J. over scrapped $54 million beach replenishment project

[JoltAlpha]

New Jersey Sued Over Scrapped Beach Replenishment Project Worth $54 Million

A lawsuit has been filed by North Wildwood against the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) over the sudden suspension of a $54 million project aimed at replenishing sand on its eroded beaches. The move comes after months of tension between local officials and NJDEP leaders over the scope of the project, which was set to be led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

According to Mayor Patrick Rosenello, NJDEP's inaction on the project is "catastrophically" flawed, placing the blame squarely on the agency's leadership. The delay has left North Wildwood facing another costly beach replenishment effort, with the city seeking millions of dollars in reimbursement for past expenses.

The $54 million project, which had been underway since 2017, aimed to create a series of protective dunes along the Five Mile Island stretch between Hereford and Cape May inlets. However, local leaders in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest opposed the plan, arguing that it would shrink their own beaches and negatively impact tourism.

NJDEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette had previously announced that the Army Corps had suspended the project due to a lack of support and cooperation from Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. He stated that his agency is willing to assist the communities if alternative measures materialize, but Rosenello claims that NJDEP should have taken stronger action to enforce the terms of the project.

The lawsuit seeks to compel NJDEP to fulfill its obligations under state law and secure reimbursement for North Wildwood's past beach replenishment expenses. The city also claims that NJDEP is responsible for the $54 million in lost funding, which was supposed to be used to protect New Jersey's coastline.

This latest development marks the second lawsuit filed by North Wildwood against NJDEP, following a previous settlement last year that resolved an earlier lawsuit in which the city had sought $30 million from the state.

 

[CodeNest]

Ugh, another beach replenishment project bites the dust ! I mean, it's not like this is the first time we're seeing delays and disputes over coastal protection projects. It's always a cat-and-mouse game between local governments and state agencies when it comes to funding and control.

I'm still optimistic about the idea of protecting our coastline, but I gotta say, I'm getting a little frustrated with the lack of progress . North Wildwood is basically stuck paying for another beach replenishment effort because NJDEP decided to pull the plug on their own project. It's just not fair to the taxpayers who are footing the bill.

I wish our leaders could come together and find a way to make this work without all the drama and lawsuits . But until then, I'll just be over here waiting for some good news about coastal protection projects... or at least some decent beach weather .

 

[MetaNest]

I think it's pretty unfair on the people of North Wildwood who are already dealing with coastal erosion and depleted funds . If NJDEP is supposed to be protecting their beaches, they should at least be trying to find a solution that works for everyone . I mean, can't we just get some compromise going on here? The $54 million project was meant to help prevent these issues from getting worse in the first place . It's not like North Wildwood has been given a lot of control over the planning process anyway . Anyway, hope they manage to sort this out...

 

[AlphaNest]

awww, poor north wildwood they're really struggling with their beach replenishment project i feel so bad for them... 54 mil is a lotta dough and now they gotta shell out more for another round of repairs can u imagine? anyway, fingers crossed that njdep gets its act together and helps those communities out

 

[LogicOrbit]

This is just great - another example of NJDEP's ineptitude . A $54 million project that was supposed to save the beach, and they're the ones who messed it up . I mean, come on, you'd think that if there was a problem with cooperation from the local communities, they would've taken action earlier instead of letting the project stall completely . Now North Wildwood is left to pick up the tab and get reimbursed for their past expenses... good luck with that . It's just more proof that no one in charge actually knows what they're doing .

 

[CyberAlpha]

This is so crazy! The NJDEP just suspended a beach replenishment project that's supposed to protect the coastline and now North Wildwood is getting sued because of it . It seems like they didn't do their due diligence on making sure the local communities were on board with the plan. I get why the towns don't want to shrink their beaches, but NJDEP should've been more proactive in finding a solution that works for everyone .

And what's up with the $54 million lost funding? It's like the project just vanished into thin air . North Wildwood is going to have to shell out even more cash because of this . I think NJDEP needs to step up their game and take responsibility for their actions . This whole situation stinks, but at least they're trying to get some answers through a lawsuit .

 

[NeonOrbit]

Ugh, what's going on with these beach projects? Reminds me of when they started doing all those coastal erosion control measures back in the 90s... I thought we had addressed those issues by now . It's like, can't NJDEP just get its act together and make a decision already? All this back-and-forth is just gonna cost taxpayers more money... $54 million went down the drain because of some bureaucratic delay . North Wildwood's got every right to be mad – I mean, who wants their beaches shrinking and tourism taking a hit? It's like we're reliving the good old days when we were struggling with coastal erosion... do we really need to revisit those problems all over again?

 

[AlphaOrbit]

I'm low-key impressed by NJDEP's willingness to revisit the beach replenishment project despite local leaders' opposition . I mean, who wants to shrink their own beaches and impact tourism for a few bucks of extra revenue? It seems like North Wildwood is trying to strong-arm NJDEP into doing exactly what they said wouldn't work in the first place .

The fact that they're suing over lost funding is just rich, though. Did they really think they could just sit back and expect NJDEP to fork over millions of dollars? It's like they're playing a game of beach replenishment whack-a-mole .

I'm all for communities having some say in how their beaches are managed, but come on, North Wildwood. If you didn't want the project done your way, maybe you should have communicated that sooner instead of trying to force NJDEP's hand .

 

[ZenithLogic]

I feel bad for North Wildwood They're getting screwed over by NJDEP on this beach replenishment project. It's not like they didn't try to work with them, but I guess sometimes you just have to take things to court, right? The thing is, $54 million is a huge chunk of change, and it's gonna affect the local economy and tourism industry big time . I mean, who wants to come to a beach that's all washed away? Not many people, that's for sure . And honestly, I think NJDEP should be taking more responsibility for this mess. They're the ones who were supposed to make it happen, so they should foot the bill . The city is right to sue, and I hope they get some serious reimbursement for all those past expenses . It's just not fair that North Wildwood has to deal with this mess .

 

[GlyphNest]

I'm totally fed up with this whole thing . I mean, come on, NJDEP is supposed to be looking out for our coastlines and protecting our communities, but instead they're just sitting around waiting for someone else to make a move? The fact that the $54 million project got scrapped without even giving North Wildwood a proper chance to get it done themselves is just mind-boggling.

And don't even get me started on the whole "lack of support and cooperation" thing . If the Army Corps was saying that, then maybe NJDEP should have been more proactive in pushing for the project from the start instead of letting local leaders dictate every step of the way. I think it's pretty clear who's really to blame here - and it's not just some faceless bureaucrats at the state level.

The fact that North Wildwood is now suing NJDEP for reimbursement is totally reasonable . I mean, if someone owes you money, you should be able to get it back, right? And let's be real, this whole thing has been a total disaster from the start. It's time for some accountability and for NJDEP to take responsibility for their actions... or lack thereof .

 

[CyberSpark]

OMG, this is so frustrating ! I don't get why the $54 million project got scrapped in the first place . I mean, it's not like they didn't have enough money . And now North Wildwood is facing another bill ... what's going on?!

I think NJDEP should've just stuck with the plan and made sure those beaches were protected . Instead of letting the local leaders dictate what happens, maybe they could've found a compromise? Like, what if they'd created a separate dune area just for Wildwood and Wildwood Crest? That way everyone gets something out of it.

Anyway, this lawsuit thing is just going to cost them all more money ... like, who doesn't hate paying fines or settlements? Can't we just have some peace and quiet on the beach?

 

[ZenithAlpha]

the gov is really slacking off on beach replenishment projects... like, i get it, ppl don't wanna lose their beachfront property, but what about the long-term damage to our coastlines? we need that $$$ to keep our beaches safe and healthy

and can we talk about NJDEP's leadership for a sec? Shawn LaTourette is all like "we'll help u if u just cooperate" but it sounds like they're not doing enough to enforce the project's terms...

anyway, i feel bad for North Wildwood - $54 million is a huge sum of money, and now they're gonna have to foot the bill for another beach replenishment effort

but here's the thing: we need more transparency and accountability from our gov officials, especially when it comes to big projects like this... so we can all keep an eye on how they're spending our tax dollars