Beach patrol headquarters in this Jersey Shore town to be demolished amid erosion concerns

In just a few weeks, families will begin filling the beaches down the Jersey Shore, but many cities and towns have endured severe erosion.

Strathmere has been one of the hardest hit areas and remains under a local state of emergency.

Now, there are new concerns as half of the Upper Township Beach Patrol headquarters hangs precariously over a steep cliff formed by relentless erosion. Officials fear the more than 20-year-old building is in danger of being washed away.

"At some point it will come down, so we had to make the smart decision and get rid of it before it becomes another environmental hazard by falling into the ocean," Upper Township Committeeman Sam Palombo said.

The threatened building at the end of Williams Avenue in Strathmere has been emptied, and the township committee voted this week to demolish it. It will be knocked down on Saturday, and lifeguards will work out of a temporary office this upcoming season.

"This is crazy down here, I mean, we've never seen it this bad," Paul Batog said.

"The past year, it really went down a lot," Marlene Bertonazzi said. "We used to have to walk down the sand all the way down with the wagons and everything and then climb back up, but now there's nothing there."

Marlene and Paul Bertonazzi have been coming to Strathmere for more than 20 years and have witnessed the continued beach erosion. From the impacts of Hurricane Erin off the coast to a series of storms that ate away the dunes and formed steep cliffs, many beaches are now underwater during high tide.

"It's all gone now. There was quite a bit of beach, and the dune went out quite a bit, 50-60 feet. There's nothing there now," Paul Bertonazzi said.

Strathmere is due for a beach replenishment project, but it was put on hold after officials said federal funding was not available for beach nourishment projects last year.

In February, Rep. Jeff Van Drew and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Adam Telle, toured the eroding beaches and problem areas in Strathmere and other shore points promising to deliver relief.

On Thursday, Van Drew said Strathmere is on the schedule to receive funding through the Army Corps of Engineers this year, and has made it clear that the project is a high priority.

In a statement, Van Drew said, "The Army Corps' Work Plan budget, which is undergoing final coordination within the administration and will be presented to Congress as soon as complete, will provide more detail on timing and how these projects will move forward."

Palombo said Strathmere needs help now, if not 60-70% of the beaches will be unavailable this summer, and lifeguards will be faced with an uphill battle.

"We're looking at a huge public safety issue as well as just a horrible tourism lapse this Summer," Palombo said.