Atlantic Shores will hold a public virtual meeting on 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 25, to gather comments on their request for NJDEP approval to divert Green Acres Program protected land. The land will facilitate the onshore routing of high-voltage cables onto the Atlantic City beach, through Atlantic City streets, Pete Pallitto Park, past the Atlantic City Boathouse, and through Bader Field. These areas are valuable and highly utilized beach and parkland. There is concern that if approved, this project could jeopardize the health and safety of Atlantic City residents and significantly impact the local and county economy, which relies heavily on tourism. The people most affected, particularly Atlantic City residents, may not have been adequately informed about the project or its potential ramifications, including health, safety, and environmental justice concerns. Atlantic Shores 1 project is being fast-tracked.
Defend Our Beaches NJ will have a press conference on June 25, at 10 a.m. at S. Belmont and the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, featuring speakers addressing this issue.
On July 27, 2023 Atlantic Shores held a public scoping meeting to solicit public and written comment on a proposal to divert 1.70 +/- acres of parkland, for a non-recreation and conservation use, which includes the installation of underground utility facilities and associated activities. The public was also informed that the project will temporarily impact 11.03+/- acres of parkland. The properties discussed above are owned by the City of Atlantic City and encumbered by NJDEP Green Acres restrictions, and therefore requires an application for a major diversion to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. All interested parties were invited to attend and participate in the scoping hearing or supply written comments. This meeting saw a lot of local, angry opposition.
On June 25, 2024 at 6 p.m., Atlantic Shores will be holding its final hearing regarding the disposition of the land. The purpose of the hearing will be to receive public comments on the proposed diversion of an approximately 1.8-acre portion of city-owned parkland pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:36-26.11(e). The affected properties owned by the city are as follows: 1. Block 1, Lots 58 and 59 (1.35 acres) – Beach/Boardwalk parcels between South Texas Avenue and Iowa Avenue. 2. Block 794, Lot 1 (0.19 acres) – Bader Field, 545 Albany Avenue. 3. Block 370, Lots 1.01, 2, and 2.01 (0.26 acres)– in-water Boat House parcel and Pete Pallitto Field located at the intersection of Fairmount Avenue and Sovereign Avenue.
The proposed land for exchange with their diversion request is supposed to be an equivalent or better parcel of land to be protected (i.e., encumbered). This is clearly not the case here.
Atlantic Shores is asking for land that is currently utilized as a public beach, a school park, boathouse, and part of Bader Field (which is developable land), and in exchange to protect BAY/Coastal Wetlands (off of West End Avenue) that you can’t use for open space recreation nor develop. Just by definition the diversion request to NJDEP should be rejected based on the proposed exchanged land being suggested.
Nevertheless, let’s look at some other factors to also consider.
Atlantic Shores LLC has not proven that their project meets the criteria for compelling public need or significant public benefit as required by N.J.A.C. 7:36-26.1(d). Specifically, their project does not:
Improve regional air quality
Provide artificial reef habitats without harming natural fish habitats
Reduce carbon emissions enough to impact climate change
Protect natural resources in the state
Their justification is primarily to meet New Jersey’s renewable energy mandate, which differs from directly combating climate change.
Additionally, many residents in climate justice areas of Atlantic City are likely unaware of the project’s details. Public notice was limited to a short announcement in local media and scattered signs, insufficiently informing the affected communities. These neighborhoods, primarily minority populations (81%), would be significantly disrupted.
Environmental justice laws, both federal (Executive Order 12898) and state (NJ Governor’s Executive Order No. 23), mandate fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in environmental matters. The NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) guidance requires that any adverse impacts on these communities be minimized.
Atlantic City’s codes require:
Right to a healthy environment
Right to complete and accurate information about environmental impacts
Environmental Commission to promote conservation and public health
Equal employment opportunities with a focus on minority contractors
Atlantic Shores has not demonstrated compliance with these requirements or shown how they have informed and protected the affected communities. Questions remain about their efforts to engage and inform the public and to ensure job opportunities for minority populations.
Although this meeting notice was posted, many people were still not adequately informed or updated on the deep ramifications to them of what this diversion request really means. Even the residents of the Ritz Condominium Building, a Historic Landmark building in Atlantic City, right next to where the Atlantic Landfall Site will be, were completely surprised.
The purpose of the press conference organized by Defend Brigantine Beach, Inc. is to help inform the people of Atlantic City of this monumental event, to go to the public hearing and to voice their opinions of the Atlantic Shores diversion request.
Source: Defend Brigantine Beach Inc. a.k.a. DefendOurBeachesNJ.org.
