New Jersey Fails North Wildwood in Beach Replenishment Project; Local Government Sues State Over $54 Million Scrapped Plan
North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello has announced a lawsuit against the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) over the suspension of a high-profile beach replenishment project that would have cost approximately $54 million. The proposed project aimed to stabilize the eroding coastline on Five Mile Island, but it was scrapped due to a lack of cooperation from local governments in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest.
According to Rosenello, NJDEP's leadership is at fault for failing to resolve the contentious issue over several months. He claims that the state agency should have enforced the project's terms or made necessary revisions to address the concerns raised by the municipalities. The mayor's statement highlights a lack of political will and bureaucratic negligence on the part of NJDEP.
In contrast, Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera disputes this claim, stating that his town never withdrew from the project and only requested adjustments to better align with its community's needs. Cabrera emphasized the importance of collaboration and flexibility in resolving the issues.
The project was initially proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and had received congressional authorization for full funding. However, due to the lack of support and cooperation from local governments, the Army Corps decided to suspend the project. Funds allocated for the project will now be redirected to other coastal protection projects in New Jersey.
As a result of the project's cancellation, North Wildwood is seeking millions of dollars in reimbursement for its past beach replenishment expenses and claims that the state is also responsible for covering the lost $54 million in funding. The city believes it can only achieve justice through the courts, as NJDEP leadership has allegedly failed to provide the necessary protection.
This development marks another challenge in North Wildwood's long-standing history of disputes with NJDEP. In 2022, the state agency agreed to drop fines totaling $12 million, following a previous lawsuit filed by North Wildwood over its emergency beach restoration projects.
North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello has announced a lawsuit against the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) over the suspension of a high-profile beach replenishment project that would have cost approximately $54 million. The proposed project aimed to stabilize the eroding coastline on Five Mile Island, but it was scrapped due to a lack of cooperation from local governments in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest.
According to Rosenello, NJDEP's leadership is at fault for failing to resolve the contentious issue over several months. He claims that the state agency should have enforced the project's terms or made necessary revisions to address the concerns raised by the municipalities. The mayor's statement highlights a lack of political will and bureaucratic negligence on the part of NJDEP.
In contrast, Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera disputes this claim, stating that his town never withdrew from the project and only requested adjustments to better align with its community's needs. Cabrera emphasized the importance of collaboration and flexibility in resolving the issues.
The project was initially proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and had received congressional authorization for full funding. However, due to the lack of support and cooperation from local governments, the Army Corps decided to suspend the project. Funds allocated for the project will now be redirected to other coastal protection projects in New Jersey.
As a result of the project's cancellation, North Wildwood is seeking millions of dollars in reimbursement for its past beach replenishment expenses and claims that the state is also responsible for covering the lost $54 million in funding. The city believes it can only achieve justice through the courts, as NJDEP leadership has allegedly failed to provide the necessary protection.
This development marks another challenge in North Wildwood's long-standing history of disputes with NJDEP. In 2022, the state agency agreed to drop fines totaling $12 million, following a previous lawsuit filed by North Wildwood over its emergency beach restoration projects.
this is getting crazy! I mean I get it, no one wants to pay for repairs but come on 
, NJDEP should've stepped in sooner and made those local governments do what they needed to do. Now the whole thing's gotta go to court 
which means tax payers are gonna foot the bill... not cool 
. it's not like north wildwood and wildwood crest are being unreasonable, they're just trying to protect their communities 
. i'm all for collaboration and flexibility, but when you've got billions of dollars at stake, it's time to put aside your differences and work together 
. instead of leaving them high and dry (literally), nj dep should be offering support and guidance to help them navigate these complex issues 
. this is just another example of how bureaucracy can fail the people it's supposed to serve 
. the fact that local governments are holding up this multi-million dollar project is unacceptable 
. north wildwood didn't just withdraw from the deal, they said they couldn't cooperate due to lack of support from state officials 
? anyway, this lawsuit thingy might be the best way for north wildwood to get some answers... let's see how it plays out 
. I remember when my grandparents were still alive and they used to talk about how the shore used to be so much more beautiful back in their day... now it's all sand and rocks with a bunch of expensive lawsuits 
. The fact that NJDEP couldn't even get local governments on board for this project is just amazing 
. And now North Wildwood has to go to court to get its money back... it's just so sad 
.
i think NJDEP needs 2 step up their game n be more transparent about dey decisions 
it's not cool dat they just cancelled de project w/o warnin or discussin w/ local gov's 
he's not giving up! it's really sad that the beach replenishment project got scrapped & now they're suing the state for $54 mil 
u gotta wonder what's gonna happen in court tho 
can't believe this is happening again! Those millions of dollars meant for the beach replenishment project are just going to be poured into other coastal protection initiatives... meanwhile, North Wildwood is stuck with a huge bill and no guarantee they'll get reimbursed. 
North Wildwood is literally getting robbed of that 54 million bucks 
. It's just so frustrating when these coastal protection projects keep getting messed up 
. I mean who plans to scrap a $54 million project without even trying to make it work? It sounds like a total bureaucratic mess