Suspends parking fees starting Nov. 1
VENTNOR – After a detailed discussion, the Board of Commissioners Thursday, Oct. 24, rejected a second round of bids received to build a bandshell at the beachfront park on Newport Avenue.
After rejecting the first round of bids received in June, the board scaled back the project to eliminate some concrete improvements and put it out to bid a second time. Bids received on Oct. 17 were also higher than the city wants to spend for the stage where performers entertain a growing crowd of summertime visitors who enjoy the city's free concert series.
According to Administrator Tom Ciccarone, the city instructed the architect, William McLees Architecture of Somers Point, to scale back the project again. McLees suggested reducing the footprint to 16- by 24-feet, which is larger than the portable stage the city used this past summer.
“We can’t spend those dollars on a band shel, it just wouldn't be fiscally responsible," Commissioner Lance Landgraf said.
Ciccarone said if the project was scaled back, bids would likely come in lower.
Mayor Tim Kriebel agreed that a smaller stage would generate costs that are more affordable for the city.
He recommended the city maintain the same materials used to build other beachfront facilities, such as the concession stand on the Ventnor Fishing Pier and the new Beach Patrol Headquarters building, which were also designed by McLees.
Landscaping around the bandshell, which would be built inside the park, could be completed at a later date, they agreed.
The timeline for completing the band shell construction before the 2025 summer season could still be on track, they said.
The bids will be advertised and reviewed in the next several weeks. A contract could be awarded by the end of the year, Ciccarone said.
In other business, the board agreed to extend the time for free parking at meters throughout the city. Parking fees will be waived starting Nov. 1 through March 31, 2025, giving business owners and residents three additional weeks of free parking in the off-season.
The ParkMobile app used to pay for parking will notify anyone who attempts to use the app that parking fees have been temporarily suspended and will not be enforced by the Police Department during the grace period.
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