Feb 29, 2016
Ventnor,
NJ – Local officials and area residents will celebrate the reopening of the
Ventnor Gardens Plaza stormwater pump station on Friday, March 4 at 11 a.m. The
facility, which has sat dormant since the early 1970s, is once again operational,
thanks to mutli-agency collaboration that brought Ventnor, Margate, Atlantic
County government, Atlantic County Utilities Authority and the NJ
Infrastructure Trust together on the project.
“It’s
been a longtime coming, but we couldn’t be happier that this project is finally
complete,” said Ventnor Mayor Mike Bagnell. “The residents in this part of the
city have been very patient waiting for us to address the flooding issues.”
The
Ventnor Gardens Plaza Stormwater pump station, located at the end of Ventnor
Gardens Plaza and Wissahickon Avenue near the intercoastal waterway, will help
alleviate flooding in areas of Ventnor and Margate. Much of the stormwater in
the area flows under Ventnor streets and empties into bay at the location of
the pump station. Because the pump station stopped working many years ago,
water from storm events, coupled with high tides, causes backups onto city
streets. The area along Monmouth Avenue between Fredericksburg and Melbourne Avenues,
which is especially prone to flooding, is expected to see relief now that the facility
is operational. It is also expected to reduce flooding along Ventnor Avenue, a
county roadway.
“Flooding
in this northern section of Margate, especially along Winchester and Monmouth
Avenues, has been a problem for some time,” said Margate Mayor Mike Becker.
“Given the capacity of the new pumps and the volume of stormwater that they can
move, we’re expecting to see an improvement during the next storm event,”
Becker added.
Ventnor
was the lead agency on the $1.5 million project, which was funded through the
New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust. Ventnor, Margate and Atlantic
County government shared the construction costs and ACUA provided “in-kind” engineering
services.
“This
is a great example of cooperation among local governments to address a problem
and bring forth positive improvements that benefit our residents, businesses
and visitors,” stated County Executive Dennis Levinson.
“Our
organization was very pleased to be a part of the Ventnor Gardens Plaza pump
station project,” said ACUA President Rick Dovey. "With nuisance flooding
becoming more common, these types of facilities are definitely important in
helping to alleviate flooding, which can be a major headache for residents,”
noted Dovey.