North Wildwood files lawsuit against New Jersey regarding failure of million federal beach project.

North Wildwood has initiated legal proceedings against the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in a dispute over the handling of a significant beach replenishment and dune construction project. The million initiative, which was intended to address erosion concerns along the barrier island known as Five Mile Beach, failed to materialize after neighboring municipalities, specifically Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, withdrew their support, leading to the DEP’s announcement of the project’s suspension.

This development has ignited tensions among the affected towns, with a federal deadline imposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for project approval being missed. The DEP has attributed the project’s collapse to the withdrawal of support from Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, asserting that the municipalities backed out of what was presumed to be a formal agreement.

However, North Wildwood’s mayor, Patrick Rosenello, strongly criticized the DEP and its commissioner, Shawn LaTourette, holding them responsible for the debacle. In a letter released concurrently with the lawsuit, he described the situation as a significant failure of the DEP to fulfill its duty to protect New Jersey’s coastline. This accusation is part of ongoing strife between North Wildwood and the state regarding coastal protection efforts, with previous litigation already highlighting their strained relationship.

Amidst the ongoing disputes, the DEP has declined to comment on the lawsuit or the mayor’s allegations. Moreover, Rosenello contends that the DEP did not adequately explore proposed modifications to address concerns raised during the planning phases of the project. Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera also expressed dissatisfaction, noting that his municipality had sought revisions without formally withdrawing from the initiative.

The Army Corps imposed a deadline of August 30 to finalize negotiations, a timeline that proved insufficient for achieving consensus among the municipalities involved. When it became clear that an agreement would not be reached by November 7, LaTourette officially suspended the project and declared that federal funding previously allocated would be reassigned.

North Wildwood’s lawsuit, filed in Superior Court in Cape May County, seeks substantial damages related to the project’s termination. The suit alleges that the DEP breached its contractual obligations by failing to secure necessary easements and enforce cooperation among the towns, resulting in significant financial repercussions for North Wildwood. The municipality claims it has incurred million in unreimbursed expenditures for emergency erosion measures, in addition to the potential loss of the million intended for the overall project.

The proposed beach project, which has been in the pipeline since 2017, aimed to mitigate erosion impacting the communities of North Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, West Wildwood, and Diamond Beach. However, the perceived erosion severity has led to conflicting perspectives among the municipalities, hampering cooperative efforts to protect the region. North Wildwood asserts in its complaint that the DEP’s inaction has exacerbated the community’s vulnerability to environmental threats, causing both economic harm and heightened risks of flooding and storm damage.