VENTNOR – A local resident who lives in one of the most historic homes in Ventnor has asked the Board of Commissioners to create a small pocket park where neighbors can sit on a bench and watch the sunset over the inland waterway.
Bayfront resident Jerry Klause who owns the Peace Pie business on Ventnor Avenue and lives in the old Derby Hall property across the street was joined by neighbors who asked commissioners Thursday, July 10 to create a park at the tip of Derby Avenue next to the bulkhead.
Years back, the owner of the property across Derby Avenue was granted a revocable license to accommodate construction of a new home in return for replacing a portion of bulkhead owned by the city. The bulkhead was rebuilt and has since been raised to a higher elevation by a new property owner. The property was subsequently subdivided to build two houses, but a small section in the corner is still owned by the city. Klause said the new owner has no use for the corner section closer to Derby Avenue, which overlooks the waterway and the historic Dorset Avenue bridge, which is slated for repairs.
“It would just be a great place to sit,” Klause said. “It is underutilized in terms of public access to the inland waterway. There’s nothing in that area where you can go and look at the bridge after they paint it blue.”
Klause called the park “a straight forward thing” that would not cost much for the city to create.
“I know that corner very well,” said Mayor Tim Kriebel, who in his job as a kitchen designer installed the kitchen in Derby Hall before Klause bought the property last year. “I think it’s a good idea.”
Commissioner Lance Landgraf said he would conduct some research on the property before any action is taken.
In other business, the board held public hearings and adopted five ordinances. The first appropriates $1.85 million for general capital improvements. A second bond ordinance appropriates $400,000 for capital improvements for the Utility Department. The board also amended the times for pile driving, limiting the process to Tuesdays through Thursdays only. The board extended the hours for riding bicycles on the boardwalk to include evening hours, and lastly, the board approved an ordinance codifying state law regarding outdoor dining.
Additionally, the board accepted the retirement of firefighter and longtime Fire Official Thomas Halpin, effective Aug. 1.
“He was a perfect fit on the fire prevention side...and has made the office more efficient,” Kriebel said. “He has been a pleasure to work with and held the line on public safety for large restaurants and events."
Landgraf said Halpin was not welcomed kindly by some people but always ensured everyone followed required fire safety regulations.
“He also served on the Planning Board,” Landgraf said.
Firefighter Joseph Iannuzzelli, who is currently a member of the Planning Board, will take his place as Fire Official on Aug. 1.
“Joe has a great rapport with the businesses. Both have a way about them that really gets the message across that they are there to enforce the fire codes for the city,” Kriebel said.
Landgraf also reported that the city has purchased all the Ipe wood needed to replace the decking on a section of the boardwalk over the winter months, and that the city is hoping to soon advertise for bids to award a contract for complete restoration of that section of boardwalk, including pilings. Purchasing the wood separately from the labor contract would save on a bidder's mark-up costs, he said.
Landgraf said the city decided against installing boards in a herringbone pattern in an effort to save as much as 20% on the cost of installation.
"That would be labor intensive," Landgraf said.
Last year, the city was awarded a $7.1 million grant from Gov. Phil Murphy’s $100 million Boardwalk Preservation Fund, made possible through the American Rescue Plan, to replace a section of the aging wooden way. That money was matched with a $7.5 million bond to fund another section. Together the appropriations will replace about half of the entire boardwalk from Jackson Avenue to the Ventnor Fishing Pier.
Landgraf oreviously said replacing the entire length of Ventnor’s boardwalk would cost about $26 million.
"We'll have to find the money to do the rest of it in the coming years," Landgraf said.
The board also announced it would create a Police Department Substation at Ventnor City Firehouse #2 on Wellington Avenue.
Having a substation in Ventnor Heights would be more convenient for officers stationed to cover the area and give them a home base from which to work, said Kriebel, who serves as Commissioner of Public Safety. Police are experiencing increased activity with the recently redeveloped and 100% occupied Ventnor Plaza shopping center, and traffic issues created by periodic repairs needed at the Dorset Avenue drawbridge, which is owned by Atlantic County and connects Ventnor City to the Ventnor Heights area.
Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson last week said mechanical issues at the bridge would be repaired and it would be painted but the bridge would not be replaced due to the exorbitant cost.
"The bridge has character that appeals to me but funding it would take to replace a bridge of that type would be in the tens of millions of dollars and would make the bridge inoperable for two years," Kriebel said.
"It would be like having two separate cities," Commissioner Maria Mento said.
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