By BILL BARLOW/Special to the Sentinel
MARMORA – Two low concrete islands at an intersection in front of the Church of the Resurrection on Tuckahoe Road could be removed under a proposal from Cape May County.
Plans include the creation of a crosswalk at the intersection.
The county has sought a resolution from the Upper Township Committee supporting the proposal, township engineer Paul Dietrich reported at the July 13 committee meeting. The committee may vote on the plans at an upcoming meeting.
Mayor Richard Palombo is not quite convinced.
“I have a little concern that traffic is going to back up,” he said at the meeting.
Years ago, before Roosevelt Boulevard leading out of Ocean City was connected to Tuckahoe Road through Old Tuckahoe Road, all traffic heading from Marmora toward Tuckahoe passed the small connecting road leading from Route 9 past the Wayside Village and Post Office. That road is also Tuckahoe Road, or County Route 631.
For traffic heading toward Ocean City, keeping straight will lead onto Old Tuckahoe Road, Route 662, with a right bend onto Roosevelt. For those turning right toward the Post Office and Ralph’s Bagels, the concrete island allows what Dietrich described as a “free right turn,” almost like a miniature exit ramp.
“They would remove that island and create a deceleration lane in front of the church. You’d have to slow down significantly more to make that turn to continue onto Tuckahoe Road,” he said. A smaller triangle, allowing for right turns onto Old Tuckahoe Road, would also be removed. The proposal would include installing a marked sidewalk at the intersection. Dietrich said the aim was to slow traffic in response to complaints from the surrounding neighborhood.
Palombo was concerned that drivers heading off Roosevelt may not be prepared for a crosswalk so soon after the turn.
“That seems kind of dangerous to me. Don’t you agree?” he said.
But people are already walking across the street there, Dietrich said, heading toward the church or the shops beyond.
“The idea is a marked crosswalk is going to be a lot safer than an unmarked crosswalk,” Dietrich said. “Whether it’s marked or unmarked, there’s already a crosswalk there. The county engineer believes a marked crosswalk with some flashing lights and advanced notice will be a lot safer than having pedestrians just go it alone.”
“I have no problem with making someone safer, I’m just not sure that the thinking and the process is actually going to make it safer. I’m just very concerned,” Palombo said. He asked that county officials present their proposal to Township Committee before it comes up for a vote.
In other business, committee approved applying for a grant through the Sustainable Jersey program as part of the New Jersey Coastal Coalition to place web-accessible cameras on some sections of Strathmere, allowing people to check for flooding remotely.
Committeeman Curtis Corson had opposed the idea when it was discussed in June, citing privacy issues. Township attorney Dan Young reported at the July meeting that the cameras could be removed if there were any problems if the township received the grant.
“So that would address your concerns, Curtis,” Palombo said.
“That doesn’t mean I have to vote for it,” Corson replied. He voted against applying for the grant.
Dietrich has said one camera could be placed at the municipal boat ramp on Bayview Avenue, and another at the beach patrol’s beachside building on Williams Avenue. If the township receives the grant, the cameras would be accessible through the internet, allowing visitors and residents to see if there is flooding, Dietrich said.
Later in the meeting, committee unanimously approved an ordinance re-appropriating $105,000 from previous bonds for various capital improvements, including for video cameras for athletic fields.
Committee members have started meeting in the same room, keeping more than 6 feet of distance between them, but the public remains excluded as part of the emergency steps in response to the pandemic. Residents and others can participate in the meetings remotely.
In a report to committee, Palombo cited a recent executive order from Gov. Phil Murphy that masks must be worn outside when keeping the recommended distance is not possible. He said most people seem to be complying with the order, as far as he’s seen. He does not expect people to need them on the beaches, where he said there is usually a lot of space.
“I’d just suggest everybody make it a point to always bring a mask even if you don’t need it,” he said. “We are certainly doing well in Cape County. We are certainly doing well in Upper Township. Let’s just continue doing that so that we won’t have to take a step backwards the way so many other states are doing right now.”