DUI Lawyers in Seaside Park, NJ

Despite proposed cuts to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs in Washington, Seaside Park officials said an initiative that would reimburse homeowners’ house raising costs still had funding available, and applications would be accepted until September. Residents whose homes are not raised and out of compliance with modern flood elevation standards would be eligible for between 75 and 90 percent of their house raising costs to be reimbursed.

The borough council last month approved a contract with RVE Engineering to provide the preparation of applications for the program, which will be available to residents now that the town’s approval to participate in the program has been finalized. The firm’s bill of $18,500 is eligible for its own 75 percent reimbursement, which would result in the borough paying just $4,625 to complete all of the studies and paperwork required for residents.

The grant funding stems from FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program, which is run through the budget of the National Flood Insurance Program. The initiative provides funding to state and municipal governments to assist in their efforts to “reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to homes, that are not in compliance, by raising these homes.”

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Under the terms of the program, FEMA will contribute up to 75 percent of the total eligible activity cost of the project, which means the homeowner would be responsible for 25 percent of the total eligible cost to raise the structure. The homeowner would be required to pay upfront 100 percent of all costs and will then be reimbursed after construction of the home.

In the case of properties considered to have repetitive losses, FEMA may contribute up to 90 percent of the federal cost share for and up to 100 percent Federal cost share for “severe repetitive loss properties.” Repetitive loss properties are homes that have had flood related damage on two separate occasions and Severe Repetitive Loss are homes that had flood damages on four separate occasions. Flood claims will be submitted for review to the federal agency.

“Homeowners must understand that this FMA grant is not guaranteed and eligibility is not guaranteed,” a statement from the borough said. “Funding may be limited, and distribution is at the discretion of FEMA. Also, after all documents have been submitted to FEMA in December 2025, approval for the grant money may take up to a year.”

Only homeowners with noncompliant structures and active flood insurance policies are eligible.

To apply, residents will need to drop off several documents at the borough’s building department, including:

The cost estimate should include:

RVE, the borough’s engineering firm, will be filling in and submitting the application by December 2025.

“They need to receive all the information mentioned above by September 2025,” the borough’s announcement said. “Please understand that the borough cannot guarantee you will be deemed eligible but is offering its services to assist you as best as they can.”

Anyone with questions can contact Jamison Zimmerman, Borough Floodplain Manager, at Remington & Vernick Engineers, at 732-286-9220, or at jamison.zimmerman@rve.com.

Seaside Park officials are planning to create a passive park area on the site of the former Park Central condominium complex, which was acquired by the borough in 2022 and subsequently demolished.

The borough, in its proposed capital budget for this year, appropriated $100,000 for the project. Officials said they hope to receive $75,000 back in the form of matching grants now that the funding has been formally set aside. There have been numerous proposals for Park Central since its acquisition, ranging from commercial redevelopment, to a recreational center, to an open-air market.

“It’s a passive spot,” explained Borough Administrator Karen Kroon. “It’s going to be made up of native gardens, benches, and a new gazebo in the middle.”

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Though it is likely to qualify for grant funding, the project first had to be funded by the borough in order to access those grants, according to officials.

“We haven’t been awarded the grant yet, and even when we get a grant, they’re matching grants so we have to spend the money first and get reimbursed,” Kroon said. “Hopefully we get $75,000 or more in reimbursements, but we have to put the full cost in the budget.”

The park setting will help beautify the center of town while allowing space for events and ceremonies.

“We’re just turning it into a nice, passive recreation spot in the center of our town,” Kroon said.

Seaside Park officials have awarded a contract for the repair of significant erosion just south of the 14th Avenue pier along Barnegat Bay, with the hope of not only saving trees that were threatened with falling into the water, but building a breakwater system to prevent the problem from recurring.

The borough has been working to resolve the problem for several years, employing a few temporary fixes while waiting for state and federal officials to approve permits that would allow an anti-erosion system to be constructed. That system consists of the installation of rock filled Gabion baskets at the end of the existing bulkhead to prevent shoreline erosion in future storms and high tides. The work, expected to get underway shortly, will include repairing the erosion that has already occurred as well as the construction of the Gabion-based system.

Borough crews will perform the actual construction work, which will likely include the installation of a Gabion-style retaining wall. Gabion is a company that manufactures a number of wall elements, and has used its “erosion basket” system to success in controlling flooding in other parts of the country.

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“It’s an ongoing project we’ve been talking about for quite a few years,” said Councilman William Kraft. “The area is washed out near the bulkhead and where the trees are.”

Kraft explained that the Gabion baskets, filled with rock and outfitted with with locks, will extent 2-feet into the bay and will be “built up almost like a pyramid where they’re stacked.” The Gabion breakwater will then go back landward to displace the wave action.

“It’s not a hard surface like a bulkhead would be, which will prevent all the erosion there,” Kraft said, adding that “two or three layers” of Gabion baskets will come landward.

Officials said they would prioritize saving older trees that have been threatened by the erosion that has already occurred, primarily near a small dock that many use as a kayak launch. That dock has been almost inaccessible for several years due to the “cliff” that formed next to it after erosion.

“The second tree, as of now, can stay, and we will see where the roots are,” Kraft said. “We’ll see what we can do. If we can dig a trench and slide the tree over, I think it would be our best bet. That’s our hope, at least.”

Any trees that are unable to be saved will be replaced.

“Taking them down might have to happen with the construction, but we’d like to get new trees to go in there,” said Councilman Joseph Connor.

“I feel because we have the Gabions on the ready, we can do a little more on the labor end to preserve them,” said Mayor John Peterson. “We all were very concerned since the trees have been there 60 or 70 years, but we have to stabilize the beach.”

Borough Administrator Karen Kroon said the materials for the project will cost $27,500. That figure includes the cost of the Gabion baskets, fill, stainless steel material and the stone filler. Borough workers will prepare the site and remove the construction debris.

Crews are expected to mobilize within two weeks, after which the work should be completed in about four days.

“They want to look for a window of low tides since that is the way to get the Gabions in,” Kroon said.

Seaside Park officials are updating several fees for municipal services, having recently adopted a new fee schedule for rental permits and planning to increase the cost of using the borough’s boat ramp for the first time in 15 years.

Rental Permit Fees

Last month, the borough council adopted an ordinance increasing the fee for a seasonal rental permit by $25. All homeowners who rent their properties must undergo an inspection and obtain permits each year prior to the summer season. According to the new fee schedule, those who have their properties inspected on or before May 1 will pay $125; between May 2 and June 1, the fee rises to $175; and June 2 and after, it rises again to $225.

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The borough also raised the cost of annual (year-round) rental permits by $25. The fee will be $125 for properties inspected before March 1 of each year; $175 between March 2 and April 1; and $225 after April 1.

Boat Ramp Fees

Use of the borough’s boat ramp will see a fee increase for the first time in 15 years, council members said, pointing to continued work at the ramp and the increasing cost of labor to run the operation, which has become popular with visitors due to its location near the Route 37 causeway, Tices Shoal and other boating attractions.

Though the fee schedule has not yet been introduced or adopted by ordinance, officials said last week that they expect to raise fees to $150 for a season permit, up from $80 (if obtained before June 14) or $100 (through Labor Day).

“The same fees have been going for 15 years, so we took a look at that and asked whether we should think about increasing those,” said Councilman Joseph Connor. “What we offer there – I know it’s our own boat ramp, but it’s a primo boat ramp. It’s a double ramp, we have a person there watching your trailer. There’s a lot that it offers.”

The ramp has become more popular with residents of neighboring towns in recent years, increasing demand.

“A lot of the feedback was from people saying they come from Toms River and other towns,” said Connor. “It was kind of like a ‘wink-wink’ where they’d say they couldn’t believe it was only $80.”

Commercial marinas often charge several hundred dollars for seasonal trailer access. Unlike many of those businesses, non-motorized vessels such as kayaks, canoes and similar crafts will not be subject to fees.

“When you look around, some people charge for putting in non-trailer boats. We do not charge for that, we only charge for a trailer being towed by a motor vehicle,” said Connor. “Also, other areas charge fees for the trailer, and then something separate.”

The council will also consider adopting an ordinance that allows for a range of fees or incremental increases as costs rise, rather than maintaining the same price for a decade or more and then raising it all at once. Daily use of the boat ramp is currently $30, and there was no discussion as to whether this price should change.

“The staff we’re putting down there, we’re increasing their salaries, and it’s a very safe place,” said Councilwoman Gina Condos. “It’s not hitting the taxpayer – it’s being paid by the people using the service. I don’t know what you can do for $150 for an entire season.”

Condos said if the new fees are to be adopted for this season, they should remain stable for “a few years” before any additional increases are considered.