URGENT: Northern Barrier Island Re-entry Plan PHASE II

The Toms River Police Department is implementing Phase two of the Re-entry Plan for the Barrier Island North of Lavallette.

Saturday, November 17, 2012 Residents of the following beach communities will be provided access to their homes from 07:00 AM to 2:00PM. Residents are requested to have identification and a proof of ownership for the house they are entering.

Residents will arrive via their own car and may begin the process of flood remediation and winterization. It is strongly suggested that residents work with their respective homeowners association to have contractors on site to assist in the winterization process.

Access to communities other than those listed for a particular day will be denied. A controlled re-entry for Phase two will enable all people to get to their homes. Arriving on a day not scheduled will only slow the process.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2012
Shore Way (Lavallette Border) North to Strickland Blvd
Ocean Beach Unit 1
Ocean Beach Unit 2
Ocean Beach Shores
Seacrest Beach
Sunset Manor Shores
Ocean Beach Unit 3
Monterrey Beach
Ocean Beach Peninsula (Bayside)


SUNDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2012
Strickland Blvd North to 6th Ave Normandy (Brick Border)
Chadwick Beach
Normandy Shores
Chadwick Beach Island
Normandy Beach
Silver Beach

There will be no fee charged to shut the water at the street or re-activate / turn on your service in the spring. This may work well with the limited access to the island. Be aware that re-activation may take longer than usual with everyone on the island shutting and starting at the same time. Please call to request this and verify that you will not be billed for this service.

...Bay Head to Seaside:
We are finalizing our re-pressurization plan for this portion of our system, which includes segmentation. Mobilization has begun for the replacement of main that was damaged near the Mantoloking Bridge. We have completed all of our initial service assessments, with extensive follow-up required...

...Once natural gas has been restored to your area, your home's natural gas service may be turned on only after electricity has been restored, you have safely returned to your home, and a qualified technician has determined that your natural gas equipment is safe to operate...

Although we are dealing with significant access constraints in the Bay Head to Seaside portion of our system, we have completed half of our initial main assessments in this area, and 2,500 initial service assessments. We are continuing to develop our restoration plan; one of the first projects in this plan will be to install new main where the ocean breeched the barrier island near the Mantoloking Bridge.

A message from Toms River Township Mayor Tom Kelaher | November 7th 2012

I want to reassure all Toms River residents that the Administration is working with the Police Department and New Jersey State Police in developing a plan for barrier island residents to visit their homes as soon as possible. The magnitude of Sandy's impact to the barrier island's infrastructure cannot fully be comprehended through pictures and videos. The New Jersey Department of Transportation is working with the Township to ensure that the island's infrastructure is restored to stable condition prior to re-entry.

The Ortley Beach section suffered the most damage along the barrier island south of Mantoloking. The Ocean Terrace roadway has been completely destroyed, and Bay Boulevard has over twenty sinkholes from Harding Ave to the Lavallette border. The NJDOT has removed a number of structures that floated off their foundations and settled in the middle of both municipal roads and State Highway 35.

We understand that other towns have allowed residents into their homes after State engineers deemed those areas to be safe. Most of these towns did not experience the level of destruction that we did. We are in constant communication with NJ Department of Transportation, and arec working as quickly as possible to ensure that their assessments are completed and appropriate measures are implemented. We need to abide by the DOT's orders for the safety of all residents.

Heavy earth moving equipment has been working to shore up dunes in anticipation of today's nor'easter.

We are thankful that fact that there were no fatalities or major injuries to our residents and we want to keep it that way going forward..

Arrangements are underway for a safe re-entry plan and residents will be updated on our township website the moment that information becomes available. You will be given ample notice and multiple opportunities to visit your homes, get belongings and winterize.

Thank you for your continued patience during this difficult time.

When can I check on my home on the barrier island?
The Township plan calls for access to the barrier island beginning as soon after the upcoming nor'easter storm as possible. Access will be granted in sections of the island beginning at the north end of the island in Normandy. Mayor Tom Kelaher said, "In light of the current conditions on the barrier island and in the interest of public health and safety, it is likely that residents will be transported by bus for their initial trip to the island. As conditions improve, it may not be necessary to travel by bus for subsequent trips. It is critical to note that the Ortley Beach area sustained much more severe damage than any other beach in the area and although work has been ongoing to improve some of the conditions, especially in the roadway areas, there are still areas that pose a threat to public safety. For this reason, access must be controlled and monitored."

When can I check on my house? (as of Monday, November 5th 2:30 pm)
Mayor Kelaher and Chief Mastronardy attended a meeting this morning with the NJ Department of Transportation, Lavallette, Brick and Seaside Heights authorities. The DOT has declared that the roadways on the barrier island North of Seaside Heights are unsafe. They have found over 22 sink holes some being as much as 8 feet deep. The DOT is aggressively attempting to stabilize the situation. The pending Nor'Easter is of great concern and it is unsure how it may affect their progress. This situation will directly impact the development of any type of public access to the Island. Ortley Beach is known as Ground Zero. This area was affected by the storm more than the neighboring towns.