By BILL BARLOW/Special to the Sentinel
STRATHMERE – Strathmere’s summer of discontent continues, at least so far as parking is concerned, with fresh complaints raised at the Aug. 10 Township Committee meeting.
At earlier meetings this summer, committee members and residents discussed options for crowded streets in the center of the beachside community, where cars parked on both sides leave little room for emergency vehicles.
On Monday, Aug.10, resident David Cummings raised concerns about cars parked along a pedestrian and bike lane on the west side of Commonwealth Avenue, stating that the issue amounts to a safety hazard.
Cape May County created the lane to improve safety along the road, which does not have enough room to expand with sidewalks because there is private land along much of the west side and tall dunes line the road 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.
Cummings said the new path has been well received by visitors and residents, but said many ignore the no parking signs and park along the route much as they had in other years.
“The illegal parking along the bike path creates significant safety issues, in my opinion,” he told committee members during the meeting, which was held remotely because of the continued concerns about COVID-19. “We continue to see a significant number of vehicles parked illegally on the bike path.”
The problem is at its worst on weekends in mid-day, he said, but it can also be an issue on weekdays as well.
“We have called the State Police several times about this and gotten conflicting information and signals on their parking enforcement practices,” Cummings said. The State Police barracks in Woodbine provides police protection to Upper Township, as well as Dennis Township and other areas.
That means troopers cover an enormous area, with Strathmere about as far from the headquarters as is possible to be. Cummings said he had been told that troopers do not issue tickets, while others said they do. He added that some officers seem reluctant to issue parking tickets.
“I’m just looking for a little more increased enforcement,” he said. He has also seen many people parking on vacant lots on the west side of the road. He asked the governing body to request the State Police to increase the ticketing.
Mayor Rich Palombo said State Police have said they would have a vehicle in Strathmere on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Township Administrator Scott Morgan said the barracks commander has been kept informed about concerns raised by residents.
Morgan said the enforcement has been stricter this year.
“The tickets have increased exponentially,” he said.
Committeeman Curtis Corson said he counted 45 vehicles parked illegally in Strathmere on a recent Sunday. He said two SUVs were even parked on the dune, perpendicular to the road.
“You could have crawled under the car and changed the oil. That’s how high they were off the ground. It was amazing,” he said.
Corson said there was a similar issue in the north end of Ocean City, on the Egg Harbor Township side of the Longport Bridge. There, the area was designated as a tow-away zone, which he suggested for Strathmere.
“People understand two things, physical or financial pain. We can’t inflict physical pain, so financial pain would address this,” Corson said. He asked Township Committee to ask the county to create a tow-away zone along the bike path, which committee members approved unanimously.
Fall Festival delayed
At the same meeting, Committeeman Hobie Young announced that the planned Fall Festival, set for Sept. 9, would be delayed until Saturday, Oct. 24, to be held the same time as the car show.
“We have to try to combine both events,” he said.
This is the latest event to be delayed or canceled due to the continued danger of COVID-19. Sept. 9 was supposed to be the date for the fireworks show delayed from July 4. Palombo said when he voted to delay the fireworks in June he did not expect the township would still be considering the issue at the end of the summer.
Palombo said he wanted the township to maintain a good relationship with the contractor who supplies the fireworks, saying he has agreed to delay the show without penalty up to the end of the year. He supports the delay.
“We certainly don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way,” he said. If the fireworks do not take place any time in the year, the township would lose $2,500, he said, with the possibility that the township could get out of that. But over the past 10 years, he said, the company has been very cooperative with the township.
Gypsy moths
Committee also requested a study of gypsy moth eggs, which could lay the groundwork to spray for the invasive caterpillars next spring.
According to Palombo, moth egg cases have been discovered in the township this year.
“We had one year where we didn’t do this and it was not a good year when it comes to the gypsy moth. There were caterpillars everywhere,” he said.
Township engineer Paul Dietrich said there were signs of caterpillars in areas of the Petersburg section of the township. It is too late for spraying to address those caterpillars, he said, but the exploration could determine what areas would be sprayed in May, 2021.
