Rt. 52 Causeway gets more lanes for summer traffic

Thursday, May 18, 2006
BY RUDOLPH LARINI
Star-Ledger Staff

Motorists headed to Ocean City this summer will find improved access with less congestion now that the state Department of Transportation has widened the Route 52 Causeway to four lanes.

The bridge, which connects Ocean City and Somers Point and is an important evacuation route for the region, previously was restricted to one lane of traffic in each direction because of safety concerns related to the bridge's railings.

"NJDOT recognizes that tourism is the driving force behind the local economy, and our bridge rehabilitation project will enable Ocean City to support additional tourism this summer," said state Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri in a statement announcing the new lanes.

The Route 52 Causeway will remain open to four lanes of traffic through Labor Day.
The NJDOT provided the additional lanes in each direction by repainting and reconfiguring the lane dividers, rehabilitating guide rails and bolting temporary barrier curbs to support the sides of the bridge.

The causeway now consists of two 10-foot center lanes and two 9-foot outer lanes. The transportation department also installed a rumble strip in the center of the bridge to separate the four travel lanes. The $1 million safety repair project was completed before the Memorial Day holiday weekend in order to support peak summer tourism traffic that is expected in Ocean City.

In order to ensure safety, nonconstruction vehicles weighing more than four tons will be prohibited from the bridge. Construction vehicles and NJ Transit buses will be restricted from the outer lanes of the bridge. The current speed limit of 35 mph will remain in effect.

Late this summer NJDOT will begin the replacement of the existing Route 52 Causeway with a 55-foot clearance fixed bridge.

NJDOT will accept bids on the first phase of this project, which will also eliminate the Somers Point Circle on June 1. The new northbound section of Route 52 is scheduled for completion by Memorial Day 2008.

At that time, traffic will be shifted from the existing causeway, which will be demolished so that the new southbound roadway can be constructed. The project is scheduled for substantial completion by the fall of 2009

Jersey Shore Event Highlights
Philly.com
May 19, 2006

May

Cape May Music Festival More than a dozen concerts: orchestral & chamber, world, Latin, Irish, jazz, klezmer at various locations in Cape May; 800-275-4278. www.capemaymac.org. Per show: $15-22; $10-$18 seniors; $5-$10 students. Sat through 6/18.

Spring Arts and Crafts Festival Home & garden decorations, crafts & floral arrangements, more. Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish Hall, Ocean St, Cape May; 800-275-4278. www.capemaymac.org. $1; children under 12 free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.

*FREE* Pirates Day with Captain Kidd Parade on the Boardwalk from 26th to 16th Aves, N Wildwood, followed by treasure hunt on the beach at 16th Ave, N Wildwood; 609-522-2955 or www.northwildwood.com. 11 a.m. Sat. Register.

*FREE* Mayfest at Historic Smithville More than 100 craft & food vendors, entertainment in the gazebos, kids train rides around the village, rent paddle boats on the lake. Historic Smithville, Rte 9, Galloway Twp; 609-652-7777. www.smithvillenj.com. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat-Sun.

*FREE* Wildwoods International Kite Festival America's largest kite festival, with kite builders & competitors, kite-making workshops, exhibits, indoor competition, children's activities. On the Beach at Rio Grande Ave & inside Wildwoods Convention Center; Wildwood; 609-729-9000. www.wildwoodsnj.com. Entrance fee for participants. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 5/26-5/29. Illuminated night kite fly 9 p.m. 5/26.

Crafts at Memorial Day Country crafts, folk art, custom jewelry, Victorian items. Cape May Convention Hall, Beach Dr at Stockton Pl, Cape May; 800-275-4278. www.capemaymac.org. $1; children under 12 free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 5/27.

*FREE* Boardwalk Craft Show All handmade products. Boardwalk, S of Convention Center, Wildwood; 609-522-0378 or 609-522-0198. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 5/27-5/28.

*FREE* Memorial Day Fireworks On the beach at Pine Ave, Wildwood; 609-523-1602. 10:30 p.m. 5/28.

Antiques at Memorial Day Antique & collectible dealers from Mid-Atlantic region, silver, crystal, jewelry, more. Cape May Convention Hall, Beach Dr at Stockton Pl; 800-275-4278. www.capemaymac.org. $1; children under 12 free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 5/28.

ShopRite LPGA Classic With Annika Sorenstam, Julie Inkster, Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Karrie Webb. Seaview Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort, Galloway Twp; 609-383-8330. www.shopritelpga.org. Per day: $18 & $20; $15 & $18 advance; children under 16 free with adult. 5/29-6/4.

Wildwoods Restaurant Showcase Sample dishes, desserts from local eateries, plus entertainment, silent auction; benefits local high school scholarships. Neil's Steak & Chowder House, Schellenger Ave, Wildwood; 609-729-4000 or www.wildwoods.com. $25. 5:30-8:30 p.m. 5/31.

June

*FREE* NJ State Elks Convention & Concert Wildwoods Convention Center, Wildwood; 732-229-2978. www.njelks.org. Concert ($20 gen admission) 9 p.m 6/1. Parade down Atlantic Ave at 25th St, noon 6/3. 6/1-6/4.

*FREE* Fireworks on the Beach On the beach at Pine Ave, Wildwood; 609-523-1602. www.wildwoodsnj.com. 10:30 p.m. Fris 6/30-8/25.

*FREE* Spring Thunder on the Sand Motocross Race AMA-sanctioned pro-am races. On the beach btwn Schellenger & Spencer Aves, Wildwood; 609-523-8051. www.njhra.com. Noon 6/3, 10 a.m. 6/4.

*FREE* Spring Family Funfest Face painters, clowns, live characters, pony rides (11th Street Beach), craft show, more. Along Boardwalk, 6th-14th Sts, Ocean City; 609-398-4662. www.njoceancity.com. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 6/3-6/4.

*FREE* Victorian Fair Traditional fair with live music, crafts, refreshments, more. Grounds of Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St, Cape May; 800-275-4278. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 6/10.

*FREE* Phillies Home Run Derby Batting contest for boys & girls ages 8-15; winners advance to regional finals. Aster & Ocean Aves, Wildwood Crest; 609-522-2955. www.northwildwood.com. 9 a.m. 6/10.

NJ Fresh Seafood Festival Crafts, food, music, exhibits, rides, more. Gardiner's Basin, New Hampshire Ave & the Bay, Atlantic City; 609-347-4386. www.njfreshseafoodfest.com. Call for prices. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 6/10-6/11.

*FREE* National Marbles Tournament Official natl competition for boys & girls ages 8-14. Ringer Stadium, Wildwood Ave & the Beach, Wildwood; 609-729-9000. www.nationalmarblestournament.org. 8 a.m.-noon 6/19-6/22.

Millville Air Show With the Trojan Horsemen, wingwalking, aerobatic teams, classic car show, more. Millville Airport, Cedarville Rd, Millville; 856-327-2347. www.millvilleairshow.com. $15; $10 children; $10; $5 children until 6/16. Gates open 8 a.m. 6/24-6/25.

Skydiving Extravaganza Free Fall Adventures & Splash Zone Waterpark present continuous skydiving & skydiving exhibits hourly. Beach in front of Splash Zone Water Park, Schellenger Ave, Wildwood; 856-629-7553 or www.wildwoodsnj.com. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. 6/30-7/4.

July

Cape May Kids Playhouse Jugglers, magicians, puppeteers, clowns, more perform throughout the summer. Cape May Convention Hall, Beach Dr at Stockton Pl, Cape May; 800-275-4278 or www.capemaymac.org. $5; $2 children 3-12. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Mons & Thus 7/3-8/14.

76ers Summer Shore Tour Basketball demonstrations for boys & girls grades K-2 by Sixers representatives. North Wildwood Recreation Center, N Wildwood; 609-522-2955. $20 registration. Call for more details. 7/12.

*FREE* NJ State Barbeque Championship & Blues Festival Barbeque, live blues music, family fun. 2d & Olde New Jersey Ave, N Wildwood; 609-523-6565 or www.njbbq.com. 5-11 p.m. 7/14, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. 7/15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 7/16.

Lucy the Elephant's 125th Birthday Celebration with cake, balloons, music, Evelyn Johnson book signing; T-shirt giveaway for tour takers ($5; $3 ages under 12). Atlantic Ave at Decatur Ave, Margate; 609-823-6473. www.lucytheelephant.org. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 7/20.

*FREE* Merchant in Venice Seafood Festival Seafood, rides, crafts, more. Along Asbury Ave, 6th to 8th Sts, Ocean City 609-525-9300. www.njoceancity.com. 5-9 p.m. 7/21.

*FREE* Night in Venice Annual boat parade. Bayside, Longport Bridge to Tennessee Ave; Ocean City. 609-525-9300. www.njoceancity.com. 6:30 p.m. 7/22.

*FREE* Christmas in July Boat Parade Boaters & homeowners decorate their boats, homes, docks in Christmas theme; prizes awarded. Back bays throughout the Wildwoods; 609-729-5501. Lineup at 8 p.m. 7/22.

NJ Festival of Ballooning Hot air balloons, entertainment, more. Solberg Airport, Readington; 800-468-2479. www.balloonfestival.com. Call for prices. 6 a.m.-9 p.m. 7/28-7/30.

*FREE* Co-Ed Beach Ultimate Frisbee Tournament 4-on-4 team competition for players of all levels 18 & over. On the Beach btwn Oak & Poplar Aves, Wildwood; 856-696-9705. www.wildwoodultimate.com. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 7/29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 7/30.

August

*FREE* Antique & Modified Car Show SJ Studebaker Club sponsors; all make cars welcome. On the Boardwalk from 16th to 26th Aves, N Wildwood; 609-522-2201. $8 participants. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 8/6.

*FREE* Atlantic City Arts Alive Fine art & craft, music festival. Boardwalk at Kennedy Plaza outside Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City; 609-287-8655. Noon-6 p.m. 8/11, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 8/12, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 8/13.

*FREE* Philadelphia Soul Summer Slam Q107 presents Phila Soul Arena Football League players, live music, beer garden, performances by Soulmates, rides, more. On the beach at Schellenger Ave, Wildwood; 609-729-9000. Call for times. 8/12.

*FREE* Rubber Ducky Regatta More than 10,000 rubber ducks race to finish line; United Way of Cape May Co presents. Raging Waters Water Park, Morey's Piers, Schellenger Ave & the Boardwalk, Wildwood; 609-729-2002. 7:30 p.m. 8/13.

*FREE* Atlantic City Air Show US Army Thunderbirds & the Blue Angels. Over Atlantic City Boardwalk, Atlantic City; 888-228-4748. www.atlanticcityairshow.com. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 8/23.

*FREE* Sports Card Comic Book & Toy Expo Sports cards, comic books, non-sports cards, magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, Beanie Babies, autographed memorabilia, posters, more. Wildwoods Convention Center, 4501 Boardwalk, Wildwood; 732-422-9365. www.njsportspromotions.com. 3-9 p.m. 8/25, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 3/26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 8/27.

*FREE* Wildwood Block Party & Festival Family fun & entertainment, clowns, face painting, kids' karaoke, rides, concert. Pacific Ave from Burk to Rio Grande Aves, Wildwood; 856-665-3123. www.wildwoodsnj.com. 1 p.m. 8/27.

Ocean City kills deal for lifesaving station
By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer, (609) 463-6712
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Thursday, May 18, 2006
Updated: Thursday, May 18, 2006


OCEAN CITY — The city scuttled a plan to accept a former lifesaving station that the owner offered to move to the Sixth Street beach.

The city learned it would be more difficult and costly than expected to obtain coastal permits for the new location, Mayor Bud Knight said.

City Council struck a deal with developer Pansini Custom Design to accept as a gift the Fourth Street lifesaving station. Pansini offered to move the building at his expense and pay the city $300,000 for the building's restoration.

The deal was contingent upon getting coastal permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection and approval from the city's Historic Preservation Commission.

Pansini wants to move the building to make room for three new duplex condominiums.

The state's objections came as a surprise, Knight said.

“It's my opinion that pressure was placed on various state agencies through political connections to make the city's application more complicated and convoluted and throw obstacles into the city's path,” he said. “There was interference by people locally to stonewall our application. I don't think politics should be involved in historic preservation.”

The Saving Our Station Coalition lobbied the state to reject the city's application. The nonprofit group would prefer to keep the building on Atlantic Avenue.

“Their application was not going to stand up. Rather than get denied, they pulled it,” group President Charlie London said.

Meanwhile, the developer was expected to appear before the commission today at a special meeting to seal the deal. Instead, the developer asked that the item be removed from the agenda and the meeting was canceled.

On Wednesday, Knight said the city withdrew its coastal application from the DEP.

“We're back to stage one,” the mayor said. “We have some options. The city can reapply at some future time, or we can do nothing, or we can sit down and negotiate a lower price and buy it that way.”

Under the city's preservation rules, Pansini could ask the commission for permission to demolish this converted four-bedroom home. If the commission refuses, he must try to sell the home for fair-market value. If he gets no takers after six months, he could demolish the building.

For now, the next move belongs to the developer, Knight said.

Council this year voted 4-3 to accept Pansini's offer to move the station. Some residents said the building would lose its historic value if it were moved from Atlantic Avenue.

“My fear is we'd lose the lifesaving station totally,” said Councilman Larry Carnuccio, who cast the deciding vote.

Carnuccio said he doubts there will be public will to spend tax money to buy the station.

Ocean City's Route 52 closed nightly for repairs
By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer, (609) 463-6712
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Updated: Tuesday, May 16, 2006

OCEAN CITY — The state closed Route 52 on Monday night to make nightly repairs so all four lanes of the busy highway can reopen by week's end.

The road will be closed nightly through Friday, weather permitting.

The state closed two of the four lanes in January when routine bridge inspections determined the railings were unsafe. The agency installed concrete barriers, but in doing so, took up two lanes of traffic.

Local officials complained that lane closures on Ocean City's busiest entrance were unacceptable and persuaded the state Department of Transportation to repair the railings and reopen all four lanes.

The state will spend about $1 million to make repairs and repaint the lines on this road between Ocean City and Somers Point. The speed limit will be reduced to 25 mph the length of the 2.5-mile causeway.

The narrow lanes will get a little narrower. The two center lanes will span 10 feet in width. The outer lanes will lose a foot apiece.

The DOT began work Monday night and will continue repairs from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Friday morning. This road, also called the Ninth Street causeway, should reopen Friday in time for weekend traffic.

“The fastest way to complete the project with the least disruption to local traffic is by doing this work at night,” DOT spokeswoman Erin Phalon said.

With intermittent causeway closings, most local residents have grown accustomed to taking alternate routes into Ocean City.

The DOT set up detour signs between Ocean City and Somers Point. The simplest route is to get off the Garden State Parkway at Exit 25 and enter the city from the 34th Street Bridge. But visitors can get off the parkway at Exit 30 in Somers Point and take Route 152 to the Ocean City-Longport Bridge on the resort's extreme north end.

“There will be some minor inconvenience. But to get it back to four lanes, it's well worth it,” Ocean City Council President Jack Thomas said.

The state could have saved aggravation and money by soliciting recommendations from the towns before closing two lanes in January, he said.

“I think we could have ended up with the same solution and it would have been a lot easier on everyone,” he said. “Instead, they caught everyone in the area by surprise.”

Meanwhile, the state plans to go back out to bid on the new causeway in June, Phalon said. The state rejected the first bids after they came in $93 million higher than the $150 million budgeted for the first half of construction.

To e-mail Michael Miller at The Press: MMiller@pressofac.com

Realtors: Shore bargains abound
By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer, (609) 463-6712
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Updated: Wednesday, May 3, 2006

OCEAN CITY — In a resort where for-sale signs are as common as beach umbrellas, Ocean City home buyers are finding something new this year.

“Reduced” signs are sprouting up in odd lots around the island. Realtors said this is a reflection of a cooling real-estate market and rising interest rates.

Economists are predicting that national resorts that saw the largest jumps in real estate prices in the past three years soon will see the largest declines. But not everyone is so pessimistic.

Ocean City Realtor Mark Grimes said a 10 percent return per year is still pretty good.

“Speculators who were buying and flipping properties, they're not in the market anymore. Developers have a lot of inventory. They're not buying properties right now,” he said.

That leaves investors. While there might be fewer people buying, those who do take the plunge are finding bargains, said Nicholas Marotta, president of the Ocean City Board of Realtors. He is a broker for Academy Real Estate.

“It's still a damn good time to buy. The market has made an adjustment of 10 (percent) to 15 percent,” he said. “The real estate community has hit a bump in the road. But prices had to get more realistic.”

At its peak in recent years, Cape May County's shore towns were seeing property values climb by 3 percent per month. Investment properties were jumping in price by 36 percent to 38 percent per year.

“You had demand and no supply. You had three, four and five bids on a property. Now you have supply and no demand,” Marotta said.

Resort areas naturally are the first affected by the vagaries of the economy, he said. But places such as Ocean City are hardly alone.

“The potential for an actual decline is greater where the homes are not owner occupied,” said Michael Carliner, an economist with the National Association of Home Builders.

This includes virtually the entire southern New Jersey shoreline. But Carliner said the softest real estate markets are not resorts such as Miami, Orlando or even Ocean City, but cities in the Midwest.

“It's really places where the underlying economy has taken a shot,” he said. “Look at Detroit. Ocean City doesn't make automobiles.”

Home prices in states such as Washington and North Carolina, where the job market is flourishing, are holding strong, he said.

Buyers have more homes from which to choose as investment properties linger on the market. Sellers are being creative to attract interest, Grimes said.

“You're seeing people offering furniture packages in properties. Sellers offering discounts on the asking price,” he said.

Realtors are working harder to sell properties. But Grimes said they are getting their full 6 percent commissions now. Eager sellers want to give their agents every incentive to move homes, he said.

Just how long this “correction” will last is anyone's guess. Grimes said he is confident the market will pick up heat soon.

“There's so much baby-boomer money that hasn't come into the market. The average age of buyers is 40 to 50 years old, maybe a touch above. You'll have a lot of people retiring to Ocean City,” he said.

Interest rates are 6.5 percent or about a ¾ point higher than this time last year. Marotta said this is still reasonable.

Maureen Glanzmann of Lafayette Hill, Pa., and her husband bought a home on First Street in March for $1.2 million. If she got a bargain, it didn't feel like one, she said.

“I think the prices are nuts,” she said.

She sold her family's longtime home on Third Street, but only after new construction made her a little claustrophobic.

“They built two giant triplexes next to me on either side. I had no more sun and we had a little house in the middle,” she said. “I saw a house that I always admired was up for sale.”

If investors are nervous about Ocean City real estate, Glanzmann is not one of them. She bought her home for the long term.

“You buy a house to enjoy it, not to make money,” she said. “There's only so much coastline. Prices will never go down.”