According to Beach Haven Mayor Nancy Taggart Davis, the borough is the first municipality in the state to receive approval to implement its Council on Affordable Housing spending plan, which was adopted in 2008. Beach Haven has over $500,000 in COAH funding, Borough Manager Richard Crane announced at the town council’s regular meeting Monday, June 8.
On the advice of the borough’s COAH attorney, a motion was filed to the New Jersey Superior Court a few weeks ago, which was approved. The order not only allows town officials to hire an outside firm for assistance in administering the program, but it also protects the funding from forfeiture or seizure from the state.
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| Photo via Micromedia Pubs Due to damage from Superstorm Sandy, the municipal building is expected to be rebuilt. |
Crane also noted that the N.J. Economic Development Authority and the U.S. Housing and Urban Development have finally granted the town the authority to expend funds for the municipal building project, which has been on hold for about a month. Borough officials will meet with the architect this week to draw up plans for the new borough hall and also put together specifications for the demolition of the present building. Councilman Don Kakstis said officials will seek input from the community after the preliminary design is finished.
It was also announced that construction of the town’s water pump building has been completed. The town recently went back on its own water supply after using Long Beach Township’s water throughout the winter. The fire hydrant system is being flushed this week, which is about a month later than usual, Crane noted.
“That’ll be completed by the end of the week, and we’ll be good to go for the season,” he said.
In other meeting news, the council adopted an amended fee for the permanent abandonment of water service from the town’s water conveyance system.
During public comment, residents Chuck Labin and John Atkinson expressed safety concerns about the beach slope in reference to the town’s upcoming beach replenishment. Taggart Davis said the slope, according to Keith Watson, project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will be at a 1:10 ratio, which is what the town’s beaches have been at for many decades. She noted the Army Corps is also going to attempt to create some sandbars. How long it takes for nature to reconfigure the sand the way it was depends on how deep the water is, she added.
“There’s no guarantees, but the Army Corps doesn’t feel like we’re going to have a safety issue here in Beach Haven,” Taggart Davis emphasized. “... The nice thing about being sort of at the end of this plan is that we can keep checking what’s going on before they get to us. ... I think everybody’s a bit nervous, but so far it’s been pretty good.”
Before replenishment begins in September, town officials expect to invite Watson and Chris Constantino, environmental specialist of the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection, to address some concerns at a public meeting.
Resident Martha Lodge suggested the Beach Haven Police invest in a decibel reader for the purpose of accurately measuring noise levels at events in the residential section of town. She said an event during last weekend at 101 Centre St. was visited by the police three times. Taggart Davis said she had been told there were only two calls, the first of which included a warning, and the sound was negligible during the second visit. Although the mayor agreed a decibel reader is the most accurate way to measure the noise levels, she noted it requires officers to be specially trained. After many complaints, the noise ordinance was recently changed to require police to stand at least 100 feet away from the event to determine whether or not it is an issue.
“We’ve cut down on the number of weddings, and I really feel that if somebody is going to have a wedding here, we want it to be a nice experience for them,” Taggart Davis stated.
In regard to last week’s bathroom vandalism at Sunset Park in Harvey Cedars, the mayor said Beach Haven would not be opening its public restrooms at night, which was a request made by a resident at last month’s meeting.
“We are really concerned about your concerns out there,” she said. “We care, we do talk about it, and it’s an on-going discussion. ... Your comments are really helpful to us because it gives us direction in what to discuss.”
Taggart Davis encouraged the public to attend the council’s agenda meetings, which are held at borough hall every other Wednesday.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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