Upper Township continues to deal with debris from Aug. 4 tornado
By BILL BARLOW/Special to the Sentinel
UPPER TOWNSHIP – Township Committee has asked the county to establish a tow-away zone along a pedestrian and bike lane on Commonwealth Avenue, the latest move to prevent people parking along the route.
At recent meetings, some neighbors have suggested cars parked within the lane could constitute a safety hazard and called for more action on the issue.
On Monday, Aug. 24, Township Committee unanimously approved a resolution requesting the change along the county road in the Whale Beach area of Strathmere, running from Putnam Avenue to the border with Sea Isle City. A resolution establishing the zone was on the agenda for the Cape May County Board of Freeholders meeting set for Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Cape May County created the lane to improve safety along the busy beachside road, which does not have enough room to expand with sidewalks because there is private land along much of the west side with tall dunes to the east.
The idea was to provide a safe space for walkers and bike riders, who would otherwise be in the already-crowded traffic lane. The new stripes were in place for the summer of 2019.
This summer, some residents have told the members of the township governing body that some drivers continue to park in the lane. They have requested additional enforcement in the area. Among them is David Cummings, a resident of Commonwealth Avenue, who told committee members at a meeting earlier this month that he continues to see a significant number of vehicles parked illegally.
Troopers from the Woodbine Barracks of the State Police patrol Upper Township, including Strathmere. On a recent Sunday morning, two troopers on bicycles rode along the bike path. Some neighbors say they have seen few tickets issued, but according to township officials, there has been a significant increase in parking tickets written this year.
At the Monday meeting, held remotely due to the continuing restrictions related to the pandemic, Cummings and other residents thanked committee for the vote.
Storm cleanup
Also at the meeting, officials heard updates on the still-ongoing cleanup from Tropical Storm Isaias and the extraordinary tornado that tore across a section of Marmora on Aug. 4, with winds topping 100 miles an hour. The tornado caused extensive damage to homes and businesses, cutting a still-visible line across a section of the Garden State Parkway, while the tropical storm continued to hammer the region with powerful winds throughout the day.
The storm could be declared a disaster, according to Township Manager Scott Morgan, who reported to the committee that the damage assessment from the storm was about $1.6 million worth of destruction.
He said Gov. Phil Murphy is preparing a preliminary damage assessment, which will be submitted to President Trump to potentially be declared a federal disaster. According to Morgan, that could mean low-interest loans for some property owners to help repair damage. The township is also tracking its expenses connected to the storm, including spending on overtime and the equipment used.
Even weeks later, collection of debris and brush from the storm is still under way. At the meeting, Morgan asked residents to keep their piles of brush for collection within their property line so that it does not spill out onto the road, describing it as a public safety issue.
“I know some of these piles of brush can be quite large. Please try not to infringe upon the actual lane of traffic,” he said. He suggested it could be an issue for pedestrians, who might enter the vehicle lane in order to get around a brush pile.
As has become a regular part of the committee meetings this summer, Morgan also updated committee members and the public on the latest numbers of reported positive cases of COVID-19. On that Monday, there were no new community-reported cases in Cape May County, he said, describing it as good news.
The county Department of Health separates non-resident cases reported in the county, mostly from summer visitors, from cases among year-round residents. There were five new non-resident cases included in that report.
Upper Township has seen three deaths from the coronavirus. In all, Cape May County has reported 1,080 cases in the county. Of those, the county reports six active cases in Upper Township and 110 people off quarantine in the township.
According to data posted on the state’s COVID-19 information page, Cape May County has seen 88 confirmed deaths from the virus, with six more deaths listed as probably from the disease. This is among the lowest numbers in the state.
“The county is thankful to have zero new deaths to report today,” reads a statement from county officials Aug. 24.