Wildwood Signs

Wildwood gets the go-ahead sign from CRDA
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Updated: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

WILDWOOD — The city has signed an agreement with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to accept $300,000 for construction of a series of decorative signs along the city's Rio Grande Avenue corridor.

Redevelopment director Lou Ferrara said the money will be combined with funds from the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority set aside to add an electronic gateway sign at Rio Grande Avenue, an entryway sign on the Boardwalk and convention center and informational signs along the busy street.

“We've already seen the rendering. It's pretty cool,” Ferrara said.

The project has been on the drawing board for quite some time and will have to stay there a little longer because the project has to go out to bid again.

John Siciliano, the authority's executive director, said three bids were received recently. The low bid was missing one of the requirements of the bid specifications and the other two were at least $250,000 more than the $900,000 set aside to pay for the project. A total of $1,050,000 is budgeted with the additional $150,000 coming from a sponsorship.

Siciliano said the project will be rebid, but any work would not begin until after the summer tourists are on their way home.

Work could then begin this fall and be completed by the spring of 2007, he said.

In other business, the city is advertising for bids to clean up the soil around a home it owns in Middle Township. The property was sold as part of a conservation project, but the city must first rid the property of contamination from a leaking fuel tank.

Wildwood and its water utility sold 382 acres adjacent to the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge off Route 47 in Middle Township to The Conservation Fund, based in Arlington, Va.

The group purchased it for nearly $2 million as part of its mission to permanently protect wildlife habitat, wetlands and recreation lands in one of the country's top birding areas

Gary J. Ziegler, director of the Wildwood Water Utility, said the leak did not affect neighboring wells used by the utility or water quality.

“There was a limited amount of contamination on the top soil,' he said, noting the wells are several hundred below ground.

The city also approved a $500,000 bond ordinance to fund water-utility projects such as meter replacement, well and pump repairs, vehicle purchases and water-main replacement.

A vote on the ordinance to bond $3.5 million for a community center at Maxwell Field was delayed.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com