News
Temporary Shipping Container on S. Somerset Avenue for Playground Upgrades
The Ventnor Department of Public Works has staged a temporary shipping container on S. Somerset Avenue to receive and store necessary materials and equipment for the upcoming CSure Playground renovation.
Materials are expected to arrive over the next six weeks. The project is anticipated to start on December 15 and be completed by December 31.
Please contact the Department if you have any questions.
Updates on Capital Projects
An update on key capital projects from the Ventnor City Commissioners is below:
Boardwalk Repair
A critical repair was made to the boardwalk between Derby and Cornwall Avenues. The repair was required because a boardwalk support piling completely failed and no longer supported the boardwalk structure. The repair consisted of the installation of three helical piles to support the boardwalk structure in place of the piling.
Cost: Not to exceed $30,000.
Project Timeline: Completed
Intersection Improvements at Little Rock Avenue
The intersection improvements at Little Rock include the installation of accessible corner ramps, the extension of the sidewalks at the intersection to reduce the crossing distance across Little Rock and Ventnor Avenue and the installation of actuated flashing arrow signs that will flash when people cross the street.
Cost: NJDOT grant amount $300,000. Contract amount $292,000.
Project Timeline: Improvements are installed. Completion is pending inspection.
Traffic Signal and Intersection Improvements
The traffic signals at the intersections of Ventnor Avenue and Oxford, Victoria, Weymouth, Nashville and Baton Rouge Avenues will undergo essential improvements. The project includes updates to traffic signal equipment and controllers that will improve traffic flow. It will also increase pedestrian safety through the installation of accessible curb ramps, lighting, signage and pavement markers.
Cost: $2.8 Million ($1.7 SJTA Grant-Funded)
Project Timeline: Construction Expected to Begin Week of September 9, 2024
Bulkhead Improvements
The bulkhead replacement on Winchester Avenue from Jackon to Marion Avenues will be replaced.
Cost: $1.2 million
Project Timeline: Construction Expected to Begin Week of September 9, 2024.
Basketball Court Improvements
The basketball court on S. Somerset Avenue will undergo critical restoration and the chain link fence will be replaced.
Cost: TBD
Project Timeline: The bid will be advertised for this project and is expected to be awarded in October 2024.
Pickleball/Tennis Court Improvements
This project includes milling and paving all tennis and pickleball courts, fence replacement and modifications, improvements to the interior courtyard area, and installation of tennis/pickleball accessories (nets, benches, shade, trash and recycling receptacles etc.).
Cost: TBD
Project Timeline: Engineering design solicitation will occur soon.
Summer Street Sweeping Schedule Begins May 28
The following modified summer street sweeping schedule will begin Tuesday after Memorial Day, and run through Labor Day:
- Street sweeping will continue and Police Department will enforce parking restrictions on: Atlantic Avenue, Ventnor Avenue, Winchester Avenue and Monmouth Avenue.
- Street sweeping will continue on side streets from Jackson Avenue to and including Little Rock Avenue (from Atlantic Avenue to Winchester Avenue).
- Street sweeping will continue in Ventnor Heights on Mondays, Margate side of Dorset Avenue the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month and the Ac side of Dorset Avenue on the 2nd and 4th Monday.
- Street sweeping will continue in the Ventnor Gardens area on Fridays.
- Street sweeping will be suspended on side streets from and including Victoria Avenue to Fredericksburg Avenue, from Atlantic Avenue to Monmouth Avenue.
- Street sweeping will be suspended on beach blocks from Jackson Avenue to Fredericksburg Avenue.
LEAP Grant for Dump Truck and Brining Applicator
In a joint shared service agreement with Atlantic County, Ventnor, Margate and Longport, we received a dump truck and a brining applicator to assist the three downbeach communities with winter storm preparation.
Ventnor, as the lead municipality on the grant, will maintain the vehicle and the brining applicator and will deploy the brine on Wellington Avenue from the Black Horse Pike, Dorset Avenue and Ventnor Avenue through each of the communities. Jerome Avenue in Margate will also be treated as it is a County roadway. Other local streets including Monmouth and Winchester Avenues will also be treated pre-storm events.
Capital Improvement Projects Update
The City of Ventnor has provided an update on capital projects completed in 2022, ongoing construction projects and upcoming projects for 2023.
Ventnor Avenue Signal Synchronization Project Public Information Meeting on April 20
Colliers Engineering & Design, on behalf of the City of Ventnor, is designing improvements at five (5) signalized intersections under the Ventnor Avenue Signal Synchronization Project:
- Ventnor Avenue & Oxford Avenue
- Ventnor Avenue & Victoria Avenue
- Ventnor Avenue & Weymouth Avenue
- Ventnor Avenue & Nashville Avenue
- Ventnor Avenue & Baton Rouge Avenue
The Ventnor Avenue Signal Synchronization Project aims to reduce congestion and emissions through the combination of traffic signal optimization, intelligent transportation system development, and pedestrian improvements. Accessibility and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists will be considered at all project intersections. All proposed improvements will prioritize long-term reliability and resiliency of Ventnor Avenue’s infrastructure as to most effectively support Ventnor City’s future transportation network. Funding has been awarded to Ventnor City through the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO) for the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program.
A Public Information Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 5:30 PM at City Hall. It will include a presentation of the project, concept design plans, and comment boards available for public feedback.
Ventnor Receives Grant Towards Traffic Signal Optimization
Ventnor has received a grant for Traffic Signal Optimization at the following five intersections on Ventnor Avenue: Oxford, Victoria, Weymouth, Nashville and Baton Rouge.
A Professional Engineering Services contract has been awarded to Colliers Engineering for Data Collection, Design and Bidding of the Traffic Signal Optimization Project. Colliers has begun the field work and have painted utility locations in the area of each intersection listed above so their survey crew can pick up utilities when they survey the intersections.
The scope of the project includes installation of accessible corner ramps at the signalized intersections and installation of new traffic signal poles and controls. We anticipate that the project will go out for bid in the fall of 2023 and construction will begin after that.
Suffolk Avenue Beach Ramp Undergoing Construction Beginning October 25
The concrete ramp at Suffolk Avenue beach entrance is scheduled to be replaced as part of the Army Corps of Engineers Beach Fill project. The contractor is scheduled to mobilize on October 25. The ramp/beach entrance will be closed during the construction, which is anticipated to take approximately four weeks. The boardwalk will also be closed and impassible at Suffolk Avenue during the construction and boardwalk traffic will be detoured to Atlantic Avenue at Somerset and at Surrey.
Modified Street Sweeping Schedule to Begin May 25
The following modified summer street sweeping schedule will begin Tuesday, May 25, 2021 and run through Labor Day 2021:
- Street sweeping will continue on: Atlantic Avenue, Ventnor Avenue, Winchester Avenue and Monmouth Avenue.
- Street sweeping will continue on side streets from Jackson Avenue to and including Little Rock Avenue (from Atlantic Avenue to Winchester Avenue)
- Street sweeping will continue in Ventnor Heights on Mondays, Margate side of Dorset Avenue the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month and the AC side of Dorset Avenue on the 2nd and 4th Monday.
- Street sweeping will continue in the Ventnor Gardens area on Fridays.
- Street sweeping will be suspended on side streets from and including Victoria Avenue to Fredericksburg Avenue, from Atlantic Avenue to Monmouth Avenue.
- Street sweeping will be suspended on beach blocks from Jackson Avenue to Fredericksburg Avenue.
Fire Hydrant Flushing Begins March 22
Beginning on Monday, March 22, for a six week period, the Ventnor Water & Sewer Utility, in conjuction with the fire department, will conduct flow testing of the City's fire hydrants and flushing of the system's water mains. The testing will begin at Jackson Avenue and proceed south to Fredericksburg Avenue, followed by Ventnor West, and finishing in Ventnor Heights. The testing will continue through Friday, April 31, 2021.
Residents should not be alarmed if discoloration of tap water is noticed, as this condition is not harmful and will dissipate. If you see brown water, run the water until it clears. Residents should avoid washing clothes, especially white loads, throughout the testing period or while water is discolored.
There may be periods where water pressure will drop somewhat when testing and flushing are ongoing throughout the day.
If you have any questions, please call Public Works at (609) 823-7935.
Beach Replenishment Project Update
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and its awarded contractor Great Lakes Dredging, will begin a beach replenishment project stretching from Atlantic City through Longport.
Ventnor will be the first area started (end of September, early October), then the work will progress to Margate, Longport and lastly, Atlantic City.
Ventnor is scheduled to receive approximately 426,00 cubic yards of sand. The proposed beach nourishment area in Ventnor will extend from Harvard Avenue to Fredericksburg Avenue and will include dune repair with grass plantings, cross over repair and street end scupper excavation (for street drainage onto the back beach area). The contract also includes the reconstruction of the Suffolk Avenue beach access ramp in Ventnor.
The contractor will utilize a hopper dredge for the Ventnor, Margate and Longport portion of the project that will remove sand from an offshore borrow zone and transport the material to a submerged pipe closer to the shore where it will pump sand to the beach. The landing area for the submerged pipe will be near Philadelphia Avenue in Ventnor.
For more information on the project, and to see recent updates, please click here (see Construction Status Info).
Please contact the Ventnor Public Works Department if you have any additional questions.
Notice to Property Owners Near Structural Monitoring Program
The following notice has been sent to property owners adjacent to the Boardwalk advising of the Structural Monitoring Program required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in conjunction with the upcoming beachfill project.
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, LLC (GLDD) has been awarded the contract from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to conduct beachfill and dune reconstruction operations from Brigantine Inlet to Great Egg Harbor Inlet, Absecon Island, New Jersey. Work on the beach with construction equipment will begin in September 2020. Construction work will be on-going from September 2020 – March 2021 and is expected to continue 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
As part of this contract, a structure monitoring program (SMP) will be conducted during construction. SSI, INC. (SSI) will perform this structure monitoring. SSI is an independent consulting firm specializing in the measurement and control of construction vibrations. SSI’s role in the project is to conduct exterior only pre-construction surveys of the buildings and improvements that are adjacent to the project and to implement seismic monitoring during construction.
The USACE has specified vibration control limits that will minimize the potential for any impact on your building from vibrations produced by the operation of construction equipment on the beach during the project. The vibration control standard for this project is based on decades of research and is accepted globally as a safe standard for the protection of drywall in residences from vibration impacts. However, even safe levels of vibration can be noticeable to occupants of nearby structures. This perceptibility is quite normal and is no cause for alarm.
If you have questions or concerns regarding this project or the structures monitoring program please call Mr. Patrick Hastings of SSI, at 1-888-250-6566 or Mr. Mandeep Talwar of the USACE, at 215-313-1150. If you do not want to be included in the SMP, please contact us.
Reconstruction of Newport Avenue Municipal Parking Lot to Begin May 1
Ventnor has awarded a contract to Arthur Henry Inc. for the Reconstruction of the Newport Avenue Municipal Parking Lot, and construction is scheduled to begin this Friday, May 1, 2020. The parking lot will be closed during construction and is tentatively scheduled to reopen on June 15, 2020.
Street Sweeper Back in Service
The street sweeper that been under repair is now back in service as of Wednesday, October 30. Sweeping will be performed as scheduled.
Ventnor Wins Grant to Improve Ski Beach Park
Ventnor was awarded a $291,300 grant and $97,100 low interest loan from the New Jersey Green Acres Program for Ski Beach Park.
Ventnor Mayor Beth Holzman stated, "Ski Beach Park is a gem and now the City has the funds to make it shine. It is great to have this State grant, so local tax dollars are not needed to improve this park.”
Ski Beach Park is a 2.8-acre waterfront park in Ventnor that is popular with residents and visitors alike. It was the site of the highly successful Downbeach Seafood Festival and is a popular recreation spot owing to its unique water access.
The boat ramp at Ski Beach Park is one of the only public boat ramps found on Absecon Island. This makes Ventnor a popular boating destination for those enjoying the Intracoastal Waterway, Lakes Bay, and surrounding tidal areas.
The Green Acres Grant will fund the extension of the boat ramp and the construction of a floating dock next to the boat ramp which will support safer use by kayakers, paddleboarders, and other non-motorized watercraft users. The funding will also pay for paving repairs and lighting enhancements. Concrete pads for picnic tables are proposed to be installed along with a pavilion and bike racks. These improvements will help with access to and use of the park and will better establish Ski Beach Park as a community gathering place as well as a boat launch.
"We are proud of the grant application team and excited for Ventnor to be building on the positive relationship between this administration and the NJDEP Green Acres program," said Commissioner Kriebel.
"This improved park and waterway access will be a great asset to our hometown in the future. The meeting we had with Green Acres when we first took office to resolve old issues is paying dividends," added Commissioner Landgraf.