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

North Wildwood has initiated legal proceedings against the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), alleging negligence in facilitating a substantial beach replenishment and dune construction project. This lawsuit, filed on a Wednesday, comes in the wake of the DEP’s announcement that a planned million federal project intended to span the Wildwoods has faltered, primarily due to the withdrawal of support from neighboring municipalities Wildwood and Wildwood Crest.

The proposed initiative, known as the Hereford Inlet to Cape May Inlet Storm Risk Management Project, aimed to bolster coastal resilience for the Five Mile Beach region, which encompasses North Wildwood, Wildwood, West Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and Diamond Beach. Over several years of planning, a federal deadline set by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for consensus among involved parties was not met, resulting in the project’s official suspension.

The DEP has attributed the project’s cancellation to the decisions made by Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. However, North Wildwood’s Mayor, Patrick Rosenello, has publicly criticized the DEP under Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, characterizing the recent collapse as a failure of fundamental responsibilities related to coastal protection. Tensions have been mounting between North Wildwood and the DEP over beach protection measures, with the town having previously pursued legal action concerning erosion issues.

In his public statement, Rosenello emphasized that the responsibility for the project’s failure lies firmly with DEP leadership, which he claims did not adequately consider alternative solutions to address the complications surrounding the project.

The DEP, while declining to comment on the lawsuit directly, previously indicated that time constraints prevented successful negotiations with all stakeholders. The Army Corps had imposed a deadline, requiring decisions to be finalized by August 30. As negotiations stalled and no consensus was reached by November 7, the DEP decided to suspend the initiative and redirect the federal funds allocated for it.

Consequently, North Wildwood’s lawsuit filed in Superior Court seeks “substantial damages arising from the collapse and termination” of the intended beach project. The complaint asserts that the DEP failed to secure necessary easements and enforce cooperation among the municipalities, resulting in significant financial repercussions for North Wildwood.

The planned erosion control efforts commenced in 2017, targeting severe erosion along the coast and proposing the movement of 1.3 million cubic yards of sand from ocean floors to create engineered dunes. With the federal government committed to covering 65% of the costs and the state contributing 35%, the project’s halting leaves North Wildwood facing not only unrecouped expenditures amounting to million for prior erosion mitigation measures but also the loss of the anticipated million investment in coastal defense.

The lawsuit contends that North Wildwood has suffered significant and irreparable harm, heightened vulnerability to environmental threats, decreased tourism revenue, and falling property values—all consequences of prolonged coastal erosion. As the case unfolds, it raises fundamental questions about accountability and collaborative approaches to managing coastal challenges in New Jersey.

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