SOMERS POINT — City Council is targeting its Bayfront Historic District for upgrades and enhancements through the state Neighborhood Preservation Program.
Run by the Department of Community Affairs, the program provides direct financial and technical assistance to municipalities based on strategic revitalization plans.
City engineer Greg Schneider outlined the plan Feb. 24. It was created by local planning firm Rutala and Associates and approved by the DCA.
Somers Point is eligible for the grants and loans due to its Municipal Revitalization Index score of 44.1. The MRI is the state’s official measure and ranking of municipal distress, rating municipalities from the most distressed (Camden, 1st) to the least distressed (Tavistock Borough, 565th). Eligible municipalities must be between the 64th and 98th percentiles on the MRI and have neighborhoods that meet certain other criteria. Somers Point is in the 89th percentile.
The funds can be used for a variety of physical and administrative functions.
— Intensive code enforcement in deteriorating areas;
— Financial assistance for rehabilitation of privately owned properties;
— Rehabilitation or clearance, demolition and removal of buildings and improvements;
— Provision of appropriate public services in the neighborhood;
— Acquisition of blighted properties for rehabilitation;
— Sale, lease, or donation of rehabilitated blighted properties;
— Planning of neighborhood programs;
— Administration of NPP activities.
Successful applicants receive an initial award of $125,000 to be expended over an 18-month grant period, including six months for development of a plan and 12 months for program implementation. Applicants must commit to a 20 percent match from non-state sources.
DCA spokeswoman Lisa Ryan said the program is a five-year designation that includes $125,000 per year. However, the financial assistance is dependent on state budget approval each fiscal year.
“Currently, Somers Point is funded through Dec. 31, 2022, for Year One of their NPP program. If NPP funding is approved for State FY23 (the state budget year starting July 1, 2022), then funding for Year Two of Somers Point’s NPP program will be ready for them to access by Jan. 1, 2023, for calendar year 2023. This process will remain in place for the subsequent years of their NPP designation,” she said.
City Council President Janice Johnston called the plan a general overview, noting it can be tweaked each year when applying for renewed funding.
The targeted area is bordered by New York Avenue, Great Egg Harbor Bay, MacArthur Boulevard — encompassing Somers Mansion and a property next door — and Centre Street.
Goals include providing more recreational opportunities, a nicer and more accessible waterfront that welcomes boaters and day visitors, a more walker-friendly Bay Avenue with shops and restaurants and a more homeowner-friendly environment that “encourages residents to stay and improve their homes rather than relocate.”
The city created an online survey from which is gleaned information from people who live, work, shop and dine in the area. It helped determine the projects and priorities designed to revitalize and area and identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
“This committee was very thorough. We did take the public survey very seriously,” Johnston said Feb. 24.
Strengths are listed at marinas and beaches, Gateway Playhouse, restaurants and bars, historic structures and museums, variety of events, compact nature allowing for walking and biking, fishing pier and boat ramp providing waterfront access.
Weaknesses listed are the need for dredging the bay and channels, poor drainage, vacant lots, abandoned properties and inappropriate uses, lack of parking and public transportation, disjointed waterfront access, lack of a theme and marketing plan, aging infrastructure, poor lighting, lack of public restroom facilities and seasonal traffic congestion.
Opportunities include waterfront access, wealthy nearby communities, extensive offerings, walkability, proximity to major roads, existing revitalized buildings, multiple events and plans for new development.
Among the potential threats listed are severe storms and flooding, shallow waterways, aging infrastructure, lack of property maintenance, aging city facilities, closing of Shore Medical Center, overregulation, lack of business diversification, negative effects on tourism.
Johnston said the top priorities will be lighting up Bay Avenue and directing visitors to the district.
“A lot of decorative lights are out and not because they need bulbs,” Johnston said, noting many need new underground wiring or fixtures.
She said some of the money will be used to buy decorative flags and wayfinding signs that will be placed on Shore Road to direct people to area landmarks, and to start a farmers market at Somers Mansion.
“If we make our city look better, events will be more successful and businesses will do better,” Johnston said. “If they are coming in for one thing, they will go to our restaurants, go to our bars, the art museum, mansion, historical society. We have a lot of things to do in town.”
Aesthetic improvements will include the use of high-quality brick accents.
Other priorities include consistently themed benches, planters, trash and recycling containers.
The five-year program offers an opportunity for the city to receive $125,000 in each of the next four years.
The 2022 budget for the program includes $20,000 for the farmers market, $45,000 for streetlights, $10,000 for bike racks and $20,000 for administration.
Future goals include Shore Road streetscape improvements (2024), façade improvements (each year), Centre Street streetscape improvements (2025) and side street streetscape improvements (2026).
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff