BRIGANTINE, N.J. — A Brigantine councilman is urging Atlantic County to make immediate repairs to the city's oceanfront promenade, warning that dangerous conditions are forcing beachgoers to climb over walls and lift carts across steep drops in order to reach the sand.
Councilman Paul Lettieri said the situation has become increasingly hazardous, particularly after portions of a beach access ramp became unusable.
"People don't make good decisions," Lettieri said during an appearance Wednesday morning on WOND's The Don Williams Show. "I sat up there on Sunday and I watched people lowering beach carts over the wall, which is about a six- to eight-foot drop. I seen them return from the beach... they're lifting the carts over the top. People do not make good decisions, and someone is going to get hurt."
Lettieri described beachgoers climbing over retaining walls, carrying equipment across unsafe areas and navigating damaged access points because of the condition of the promenade.
"It's a matter of time before someone gets hurt," he said. "They could easily repair that ramp and that would, number one, prevent people from climbing over the railings, lowering people down, picking people up, climbing up."
According to Lettieri, the problem stems largely from sand that washed away during winter storms, leaving part of the ramp suspended above the beach.
"It's not that it's missing," he explained. "It was originally sand-covered halfway up so that you walked halfway down the ramp and you're at sand level. But when that washed away during the winter, it was never replaced."
He believes the repairs could be completed quickly.
"They could tweak a few things immediately," Lettieri said. "They could do it tomorrow and make it much safer than it is right now."
More Than Beach Access
Lettieri said many people mistakenly believe the issue only affects beachgoers. In reality, he said, the promenade serves as one of the few places where older residents and people with disabilities can safely enjoy ocean views.
"For some people, for the old, for people with walkers, people with canes, that's their only access to the beach or to even see the ocean," he said. "It's not just a pass-over. It's a spot where people can go up there and sit for a while. We have the benches up there. People can enjoy the view of the beach and the ocean... and they're prohibited because the handicapped ramps are not acceptable."
He also pointed to malfunctioning lighting along the promenade, saying blinking LED fixtures have been turned off entirely, leaving portions of the walkway dark at night.
"The lights do not work at all," Lettieri said. "They don't put them on because they blink like a strobe light... They might as well not be there. That makes the problem even worse for anybody that's walking at night."
County Promises Repairs
Lettieri's comments come one day after Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson announced the county would assume responsibility for repairing the promenade following growing concerns raised by Brigantine officials and residents.
During Tuesday night's public meeting, Levinson said the county would move forward with repairing the damaged sections after reviewing the issues.
Lettieri welcomed that commitment but said action needs to happen quickly.
"I appreciate what the county executive had to say," he said. "But it had... we had to put some pressure on the committee, who agreed with us wholeheartedly that there were issues that should have been taken care of."
He also said he was surprised when the county engineer indicated he needed to inspect the site himself.
"The city engineer was at the meeting, and he was bewildered, like he didn't know there was a problem," Lettieri said. "He said, 'I'll have to come out and look at it.' So obviously he hasn't been out recently to know what the issues are."
Despite his frustrations, Lettieri praised Levinson's willingness to help.
"Denny, if you're listening, we the people of Brigantine appreciate anything you can do," he said. "We in Brigantine support the county with $21 million in tax money every year... Now we're just asking, please, help us."
A Simple Fix?
Lettieri believes the immediate safety hazard could be addressed with relatively minor work.
"All you have to do is send county public works and extend that one ramp or pile some sand back where the sand has washed away, because that's really all that's missing," he said. "The sand used to go halfway up the ramp... and people were able to safely walk down."
He added that replacing the sand would also restore safe access for dog owners using the northern beach and reduce the number of people climbing over barriers.
"We could solve this problem today if Denny sent a crew from the county with a bucket shovel, grab some sand, and cover the bottom of that ramp," Lettieri said.
County officials said Tuesday they are evaluating the promenade and planning repairs, although no timetable has yet been announced.
About the Author
Scott Stephens
Scott has been an on-air personality, producer and newscaster for 30+ years. He has been a mainstay in the South Jersey Community and on the air across many different area stations. Scott can currently be heard on Kool 98.3 and News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.
