Belmar was motivated by a ticking clock and not environmentalists when it chose to drop rainforest timber as its boardwalk decking, Mayor Matt Doherty said.
The Sierra Club was prepared to fight over the use of ipe rainforest timber, saying the wood is harvested, causing great damage to rainforest ecosystems. Doherty said the borough was using timber that was certified as more environmentally sound, and that the company that harvested ipe was also reforesting the species there.
However, Belmar switched from the use of ipe after seeing that a legal fight over its use would slow boardwalk construction, Doherty said.
"We'd likely win a fight, but it could last as long as 60 days," Doherty said. "We're not going to stop construction for 60 days. That's just not happening."
Belmar is pushing forward on reopening its boardwalk for Memorial Day, and has 1.3 miles of boardwalk to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy uprooted nearly all he beachfront.
In order to be ready, Belmar is aggressively pushing forward on its rebuilding plans. A $6 million contract for Epic Construction to rebuild has a bonus for completing the project before April 30 and daily penalties for lateness.
With the pilings portion already underway, Belmar can't afford to be tied up in a legal battle over the type of planks it uses, Doherty said.
I am unaware of the litigation you speak of . I also appreciate the feedback .We just feel the beaches should be free or almost, while the parking should be as brutal as the Port of Authority fees. Ocean Ave should be our diamond where it currently is not . We bought our property in 2000 and have lived full time since then while rebuilding and investing in what we thought would be our final move. Since 2000 the public Facilities have only deteriorated or have been mismanaged at higher and higher costs
Part of the problem is that we(NJ) always want to be PC. I don't think I even know any one who is a member of the Sierra Club...but we are afraid of them. Jersey Strong is more like Jersey Meek.
We pretty much agree on most. If what you say about Beach fees is correct and I assume it is, we should eliminate the Beach fees .For increased revenue Belmar should build more storage sheds for residents . I have one now and would be willing to pay more. If parking fees were raised(not at Ocean Ave. we stopped parking remember) but back at Main and transit could be included? or Bikes could be rented and maybe the town would really rebuild our downtown with all the tourist money and not Living units with no real extra parking. Keep in mind downtown has at least eight sit down restaurants and lots of small shops how do think they would feel.It's funny I had to do all this thinking because of plastic board walk
The Sierra Club trashing our environment by forcing us to use PLASTICS in a seaside construction exposed to extremes of ocean weathering??? It makes me wonder what grades Jeff Tittel received in environmental science at school! Ignoring the fact that ONLY sustainable wood products were going to be used. Actively discouraging the use of sustainable, properly harvested materials. How terribly short sighted! I feel sorry for Belmar's Mayor. He will take a lot of heat, but he's correct, the delay will cost more than this town can afford to lose economically. Our small business community is bravely holding on, but even short delays could cause some local stores, restaurants, & lodgings to lose everything. The one who SHOULD take this heat is Mr Tittel, he lost The Sierra Club credibility. Everyone who loves the ocean, the beach, & the boardwalk should write & call to ask this organization to withdraw this ridiculous suit. Plastics create incredible pollution. They break down in strong sunlight. The pieces end up in the ocean, where scientists have reported they decompose rapidly into toxic compounds. The Sierra Club is not seeing the forest for the trees! Blocking the use of sustainable ethically obtained wood,& forcing Belmar to use plastics instead! Really? The Sierra Club Office 85 2nd street #2 San Francisco, CA. 94105 Phone (405) 977-5500
This is a lesser than two evils choice, whichever is chosen has an influence upon the recovery. Unless you think it wise to take on a California 60's era Flower Power lobby group that has the deep donation pockets to drag Belmar down to financial ruin. Plus, the town would be stigmatized across the country as "tree killers" by Sierra to all the children too young to understand ethical sustainable harvest. Bad press can kill a town right now. Think long term. The boards will need replacement on a routine basis, & then the alternative material can be chosen to upgrade it. Belmar can lose the battle now, & then win the war later, AFTER the economy has been firmly reestablished.
If it was wood, that must have been a composite. I do a lot of woodworking. I could have sworn it was not wood, especially since I sat down on it to do my stretches before & after running all Summer long. I agree that the Boardwalk should be made of wood that will not degrade like the plastics. We do not need to contribute to plastics pollution. A plastic garbage patch like the one in the Pacific off the coast of California tells me the Sierra Club needs better research. Newest information says sea water breaks plastics down into toxic substances rather quickly, in approximately a year or so, according to a National Geographic study in 2009. The contrast between that & using a properly harvested, ethically replaced, sustainable wood product makes me wonder too. Seems silly to me.
A wise person faces the truth, & declines to fight a losing battle. The boardwalk material can be replaced in sections later with the better material without squandering Belmar's tax money on court costs.
2.The threat of litigation from the sierra club is about as valid as taxation without representation 3.The threat of business loss is Horrible "BUT" do those business owners live here all year (maybe some do ) Can those that live here stay open after labor day "YES" and do some of the business owners take their money and go South for the Winter and spend their money there "YES THEY DO" so the grand negative of us getting what we want is nothing. 4.The process for making this (NON RENEWABLE, NON REPAIRABLE,)product is as bad as any the Sierra Club has ever seen. The Sierra Club should applaud and support the use of WOOD providing it can be proven replacement growth is more than equal the use. 5.If the Sierra club sues. The delays and all costs including legal fees should be part of a counter suit. What they are saying can easily proven wrong and hypocritical 6. The Mayor has an agenda that does not fit with Belmar residents needs. I'm sorry to oppose his agenda but Belmar needs to be better for all including: the residents, tourist and vendors. GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT
Please take a breath and stand up resist something you have heard spread by the Government. I have spent over 50 years in construction and the delays for wood are non existent. I do grant the inconvenience for all involved right now and possibly cost changes. The decision should be made now or very soon. Your comparisons are real but not quite the same. I already have said Sierra should applaud us for elimination the synthetic Garbage they are wanting to use. I actually grew up coming to these wood boardwalks and for generations they were untouched just used . If they were sanded and treated whenever it was needed they would still be in use
Belmar was sincerely trying to become more ecologically sound by attempting to use a product that was ethically harvested & renewable. I feel you are not being fair. Belmar should not be blamed for the interference from The Sierra Club. May I respectfully suggest you target that group instead for their obstructionist fit over the ecologically sound materials chosen. The people in Belmar earn most of their income during the Summer. After everything residents have been through, they do not deserve to lose their jobs & businesses until at least next year. I am sorry you intend stay away. The welcome mat will still be out, if you happen to change your mind.
Sorry if I offended you but I will continue to disagree and will do publicly and privately. Just a couple of quick things 1. Up until the last 5/6 years our boardwalk had been wood since it's creation 2. How many of Belmar's residents depend on income from summer tourism 3. How can you think plastic boardwalk is eco friendly v wood 4.Why would I fight a neo terrorist group like Sierra when it's un necessary 5. I never said I would not use either type of board walk 6. I have not only used heavily, but have walked or run thousands of miles 7. What I would fight for is meaningful TORTE reform Lets say we agree to disagree it makes for good health "GO WOOD"
Trex or equal approximately $35.00 per sq ft if any cannot be convinced please go to any of the follow ing sites http://www.deckingnotice.com http://www.advantagelumber.com http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml05/05247.html http://newtown.patch.com/blog_posts/some-issues-with-composite-decking After considering all then checkout Sierra's real agenda. And that is free beaches no fees .
The threat the local branch made is real. Put heat on The Sierra Club & get them to rescind their threats of a lawsuit. In another post I provided the contact information. If that is not your style parody them on the internet for demanding plastics.
Personally, I am 100% in favor of using the wood & dislike the idea of putting more plastics into a salt water environment. The boardwalk is has provided me a safe place to regain my lung capacity this Summer as I recover from 8 years of persistent chemotherapy aftereffects. I miss watching the sunrise over the ocean as I run. My experiences have taught me to choose priorities carefully & weigh the cost & benefits of a course of action carefully. Plus, how to assess the likelihood of success. The first priority is for Belmar to get up upon it's feet again quickly after being knocked down. Part of it is a physical rebuilding of the area, but the other part is feeding that spirit of resilience. Belmar must complete this project on time or face embarrassment & loss of income that accompanies having to tell the Governor that he cannot spend Memorial Day in Belmar because we are not finished. If I need to hold my nose at Sierra's hypocrisy & use plastic temporarily until there is time to fix Sierra's little red wagon in court, then so be it. Belmar will have the last laugh. Plastic degrades quickly & it will be replaced permanently with the wood. The problem is we do not have the time to squash these pests right now :( .
It is already going to be a tight squeak getting done before the end of May. The Sierra Club resembles the Westboro Baptist Church in the way they use lawyer tactics to harass their targets. Court injunctions are one of their specialties. Of course we could have residents use their rights as American's to picket The Sierra Cub Offices or Chairman Tittel's place of business/residence. Sauce for the Goose is Sauce for the Gander(snicker) otherwise known as turnabout is fair play!
David, the Mayan Calender is actually quite real. It is as solid as a rock ;) ' What was not real was the hoopla about the end of it meant the apocalypse was here. Being cyclical it simply started over. We went to a great zombie, vampire party to mock the superstitious hysteria. I wore Godzilla feet. Told everyone I was in the process of "evolving".
A tree farm producing wood of the same type uses sustainable harvest techniques that do not result in deforestation. Trust a 60's era protest group to get it wrong & harass the people who are doing it right.
They appear to be a group that has become radicalized to the point that they would not want any wood products used at all. Otherwise they would have suggested some alternative type of lumber. I do not know if the local Sierra leader is flown with power, or sees this as an opportunity to divert some of Belmar's upcoming relief money to their "cause" by litigation. Anything is possible; but it is certain these people are intent on shoving their California agenda down our throats & forcing a less environmentally sound repair to be used due to their threats of using up our time constraints in court. I certainly will never respect The Sierra Club again after this behavior. I respectfully suggest you do not forgive this travesty either.
It is extremely dense; that makes it so durable, it can blunt the tools used on it. That is why IPE is known as "ironwood". The US Department of Agriculture & Forestry rates this wood as highly resistant to decay, fungi, & termites. IPE looks like teak, but is much less expensive than teak or any plastic alternative. It sands quite smoothly, will NOT splinter, weathers naturally in sunlight's UVA to a light consistent grey, & does not really require any finish or treatments because it can be pressure washed back to looking like new. However; most importantly for a boardwalk exposed to rains that produce runoff into the Atlantic Ocean, IPE contains NO added harmful chemicals, so it can be used near water without danger of potential contamination. As if the rest was not convincing enough; IPE has a CLASS A fire rating...The same fire rating that is given to concrete & steel! That significantly reduces any fire hazard associated with having a wooden boardwalk. This wood is truly awesome, & perfect for rebuilding Belmar's Boardwalk I really do not think any other wood could replace it (sigh). It has such unique qualities. I feel terrible about Belmar not being able to use it because of threats to delay the construction with a court injunction, by people who (in my opinion) are eco-thugs. Curses upon The Sierra Club dorks. May hungry sand fleas infest them all!