Toms River Appropriates Over $300K for Beach Repairs

In what has become a seemingly annual expense in the absence of a federal beach replenishment project, Toms River officials on Wednesday night voted to appropriate over $300,000 to repair beaches and beach entrances as the 2024 summer season draws closer.

Dune erosion ‘cliffs’ following multiple nor’easters in a week, Ortley Beach, N.J., March 12, 2024. (Photo: Shorebeat)

The council awarded a $314,813 contract to Earle Asphalt Company to provide sand and serve as an on-call contractor for dune crossover repairs prior to the start of the summer bathing season. Last year, the township awarded a similar $304,913 contract to Earle for the repair of beaches and crossovers.

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Mayor Dan Rodrick said he would work to avoid a repeat of the scenario that played out in May 2021, when beaches and crossovers were repaired before Memorial Day weekend, only for a nor’easter to roll through the region over the holiday and necessitate a second round of repairs.

“They said they could start within seven days of letting me know,” said Rodrick, adding that the project itself would likely take about seven days to complete.

“It’s worse damage this year,” said Ortley Beach resident Debbie Martin. “How is $300,000 going to cover it?”

Rodrick said there was “a new sheriff in town” and his administration would closely monitor the project to ensure it was completed to the township’s satisfaction.

“It’s always a Band-Aid every year,” said Councilman Justin Lamb, whose ward includes the entire barrier island portion of the township. “It’s never enough, and really, our ire goes to the Army Corps of Engineers to do it right. They need to come in and do it right this time, especially right by the Surf Club property.”

Last month, the Army Corps told Shorebeat that it was preparing a new bid solicitation after years of bids that were returned either over budget or eventually scrapped after being protested by competing contractors. The federal project – with Ocean County having committed to funding the “local share” after the state refused to do so – has been funded for several years, however no contract has been awarded due to the wranglings within the complex process of defense procurement.

Dune erosion ‘cliffs’ following multiple nor’easters in a week, Ortley Beach, N.J., March 12, 2024. (Photo: Shorebeat)

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Dune erosion ‘cliffs’ following multiple nor’easters in a week, Ortley Beach, N.J., March 12, 2024. (Photo: Shorebeat)

Dune ‘cliffs’ return in Ortley Beach following the Jan. 9-10, 2024 coastal storm. (Photo: Shorebeat)

The next round of beach replenishment on Ocean County’s northern barrier island is said to include in its specifications a re-engineering of the dunes and beach berm in Ortley Beach, a notorious trouble spot for beach erosion.

After a significant number of nor’easters – including four in a matter of ten days recently – “cliffs” have formed along the beachfront at a height surpassing 10-feet in some locations. The worst-affected areas are those just south of the former site of Joey Harrison’s Surf Club, which is now owned by the state and maintained by Toms River Township.