A decade of litigation and disputes over the deteriorating beaches in North Wildwood, New Jersey, could soon come to an end. The resort town, popular with tourists from the Philadelphia area, has reached a tentative agreement with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to resolve ongoing conflicts and advance measures to restore its eroded beaches.
Proposed Agreement Offers Fresh Start
North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello announced that the agreement would resolve all outstanding disputes between the town and the DEP. The deal, which awaits approval from the town council, would cancel $12 million in fines imposed by the state for unauthorized beach repairs while also dropping the city’s lawsuit seeking reimbursement for $30 million spent on emergency sand trucking over the past decade.
“We agreed that we will concentrate on protecting our beaches instead of suing each other,” said Rosenello.
The beach replenishment project, tentatively slated for 2025, would finally bring relief to North Wildwood, which has been one of the only Jersey Shore communities without a full-scale replenishment effort by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Decades of Damage and Emergency Measures
North Wildwood’s beaches have faced severe erosion, with protective sand dunes destroyed, leaving properties vulnerable to storm damage. Photos taken earlier this year showed remnants of dunes reduced to barely knee height.
In response to Governor Phil Murphy calling the erosion “shocking,” the state Department of Transportation conducted an interim replenishment project last summer, which has held up well so far.
However, the town’s unauthorized emergency repairs, including the construction of bulkheads and other protective measures, have caused friction with the DEP. In 2023, Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette warned that continuing such unapproved actions could jeopardize future funding for shore protection.
Key Components of the Agreement
The proposed agreement includes several critical measures. North Wildwood will contribute $1 million to the upcoming federal beach replenishment project and pay $700,000 into the state water pollution control fund. The DEP will drop its $12 million fines against the city for unauthorized repairs. Additionally, the city will receive a clear regulatory framework to secure permits for future coastal protection projects, including extending a sea wall.
If approved, the agreement marks a significant turning point for the town, ending years of legal and financial conflict with the state.
