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This is an archive of Wildwood Leader articles written by Maureen Cawley from 2005-2006 . If you are looking for something else, contact me.

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Judge says condo owners must fix problems

 

By MAUREEN L. CAWLEY
Correspondent
WILDWOOD – It’s a handyman’s special.
But obtaining the necessary construction permits to repair the crumbling chimney and weather-worn windows of this Pacific Avenue office space is not likely to be a problem. After all, the employees who work at the Joint Construction Office of the Wildwoods (JCOW) are eager to have their building repaired.
“There are several problems with the building,” said Matt Tomlin, who took over as JCOW’s Business Administrator earlier this month.
“The chimney is broke. You can’t fire up the boiler,” he said, so for now, there is no way to heat the building’s second floor.
Window air conditioners provide cool air, but the windows are worn and unstable.
“You can put a finger through (them),” Tomlin said.
And then there’s the carpet.
“The guys upstairs said there are creatures crawling out of it,” he said. He’s hoping that having it professionally cleaned will buy them some time.
And well, it’s not a priority, but the building could use a paint job, as well.
At his first meeting as JCOW’s administrator, Tomlin acknowledged that there are numerous issues that need attention at JCOW, but in his first few weeks in office, building maintenance issues have come to the forefront. Employees in the building have asked him to intervene on their behalf.
“Our work day and our work life is really important to us,” Tomlin said.
“It doesn’t look great that our building inspectors’ office is in a building that is falling apart,” board member Ray Townsend, of North Wildwood, said.
And according to Tomlin, some inspectors have doubts that the building could pass a code inspection.
“People have the right to expect that they’ll work in a safe and secure building,” said board member, Kevin Yecco, of the Crest.
The board agreed that the issues need to addressed, but it won’t be cheap.
Tomlin said that $13,500 was set aside in JCOW’s budget for building maintenance and repairs, and $3,500 has been used already. That leaves only $10,000 to pay for an estimated $2,800 for new windows and a new heating and air conditioning system for the building’s second floor.
With winter approaching, the building needs a reliable heating system, Tomlin said, and replacing the defunct chimney could cost between ten and 15 thousand dollars. It may make more sense to replace the boiler-dependent system with a more efficient HVAC system, he said.
Board member Floyd Speigel, Ed Koehler and Chris Fox were assigned to a building committee to take a closer look at cost-effective solutions to the issues and funding the repairs.
Tomlin said that he’s taken a careful look at the budget to see if money can be taken from another line item. Revenue from interest was not included in the budget this year, he said, and that money may be available to fund the necessary building improvements. The board agreed to give him the authority to allocate up to $5,000 per project without board approval.
In the 2007 budget, Tomlin said, he intends to make sure that a capital fund is set up to pay for issues like this.
As Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Tomlin is paying close attention to how the organization has been spending its money. Board members received copies of JCOW’s 2006 audit report, and for the third year in a row, auditor Ford, Scott, Seidenberg & Kennedy found fault with the way JCOW manages its money.
“It’s very disturbing,” Yecco said.
The auditor found that JCOW had overspent on certain line items, and certain financial reports were not signed by a CFO.
Tomlin was hired as the CFO last month, and he will sign all future reports, he said.
The “overspending on certain line items” was due to an insurance cost that was charged to the wrong place, Tomlin said. In 2004 and 2005, auditors found that JCOW lacked a cash management plan and was not reconciling its books correctly. Those issues have since been addressed.
A computerized accounting program was implemented earlier this year, and Tomlin said he anticipates it will help to avoid future problems.
He said he’s going to work hard to make sure that there are no issues to address in next year’s audit.
Before approving the payment of bills at Friday’s meeting, the board discussed a $17,000 annual bill for auto insurance on seven cars, and Tomlin said he would see if that can be reduced.
And Speigel asked if management could schedule inspectors to work together at some building sites to avoid excess fuel costs.
A $550 dollar cell phone bill for July drew scrutiny from board members. The bills are exceptionally high since each JCOW inspector was authorized to sign up for his own phone and calling plan, Tomlin said. And the organization will need to pay $1200 to buy out of each plan. There are eight phones.
Government entities buy in bulk to save money, Yecco said. “Who gave them the authority? How is that possible? Yecco said.
“We have 53 phones in North Wildwood, and I don’t think it’s much more than that,” Townsend said. He is North Wildwood’s administrator.
Construction official Mario Zaccaria said that he had authorized the plans, following the protocol that was in place when he took over as construction official. Tomlin has since been put in place to manage the office, though Zaccaria is still in charge of inspections and plan review.
Tomlin said he is pleased at the confidence the board has placed in him, and he will work hard to improve the organization.
Some good news did come out of JCOW’s 2006 audit, Tomlin said.
“It indicates that JCOW is now sitting on $1.7 million dollars,” Tomlin said.
But in light of ongoing litigation as it relates to more than 100 properties (see related story), board members did not seem enthusiastic about the proposed windfall. It could quickly be swallowed up in legal fees.
“It’s all going to go to (JCOW attorney) Glenn (Callahan),” Yecco said.

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – Property owners from Wildwood and North Wildwood crowded into the courtroom on Thursday to hear how Superior Court Judge Steven Perskie planned to resolve the legal quagmire surrounding fire code violations in some 79 new condominium buildings.
His plan is as simple, as it is painful.
“We’re going to fix the buildings quickly, or we’re going to vacate the buildings,” he said. “The condominium (owner) is ultimately responsible.”
To many of the nearly 500 homeowners who found out in February that their buildings lacked necessary fire safety elements like fire walls, sprinkler systems and adequate means of egress, this was disturbing news.
Since receiving notice of the code violation in their buildings, condo owners have been in negotiations with builders, architects and the Joint Construction of the Wildwoods (JCOW), as they’ve attempted to figure out how to remedy various code compliance issues. They’ve tried to determine exactly what is wrong with their buildings and who will pay for the repairs. Some builders and architects have been cooperative in the process. Others have stonewalled.
As of Thursday’s hearing, only about 26 of the 79 condo associations that were originally notified had agreed to fixes, according to JCOW attorney Glenn Callahan.
A few condo associations had agreed to incur the expense of fixing the property themselves, but most had entered into agreements where they were not a part of the fix, Callahan said.
“Quite frankly, Judge, I don’t know what else we can do,” Callahan said.
“They pay me to break loggerheads,” Perskie said. And shortly thereafter, he presented his plan to speed up the process.
By the judge’s order, condo associations now have until Sept. 7 to reach binding agreements to have their properties repaired by Dec. 15 in accordance with JCOW’s specifications. Those who don’t, risk being vacated from their properties.
“No one is going to get hurt on my watch,” Perskie said. “It’s that simple.”
Attorney Henry Lewandowski, who represents a number of condo owners, said that the alleged code violations may not be life-threatening. Lewandowski noted that a representative from State Department of Community Affairs, who first uncovered the violations, stated that the issues do not present “an imminent threat to life-safety.”
“I don’t understand how a problem in a building that does not have (fire safety) elements is not a safety issue,” Perskie refuted. “It’s illogical. The buildings need to be fixed, he said.
And after agreements are in place to fix the buildings, the court will move into Phase II as quickly as possible, Perskie said. Then it will be determined who is financially responsible for the cost of repairs, which in some cases is estimated to be as high as $200,000 per building.
Condo owners can also sue for other damages, including decreased property values, lost rental income and other losses incurred as a result of the debacle.
Comments from about a dozen attorneys representing architects and builders at the hearing showed the gamut of possible positions on the matter. Some disagreed that violations exist. Others took responsibility for violations and made repairs. Still, others have cooperated in the process so far, but deny financial liability. One attorney revealed his client, an architect, had no insurance to cover the loss.
Callahan has admitted that his client, JCOW, bears a potion of the blame for failing to detect the issues during the plan review process, but he has also indicated his belief that architects are bound by oath to design buildings that meet code. On Thursday, he noted that a ruling in a previous case, known as DKM Residential, found builders to be responsible for code violations.
He said the relationship between the builders, architects and condo owners is like a wheel – hubs and spokes with JCOW in the middle.
As a result, the second phase of legal proceedings promises to be an unruly process, involving thousands of legal documents that will need to be copied to all affected parties. Perskie said he would arrange to have a Web site set up, possibly through the Atlantic County Court system, where attorneys will have access to the documents.
Attorney Henry Lewandowski, who represents a number of condominium owners, reminded those present of the “economic realties” his clients face. For many, the construction and legal costs are quickly becoming more than they can afford, and to make matters worse, they can not sell or rent their properties.
“Realtors won’t list it. Renters won’t rent it,” Lewandowski said. Some may be forced to walk away from their investments, he said.
Perskie said he was aware of the “excruciating difficulty” condo owners faced. “I am mindful of the economics of the situation,” he said. “There is a difference between responsibility and blame.”
The blame will be determined some time after Sept. 7, but the owners are responsible for fixing their properties.
It’s a painful reality, but Perskie said, his plan is the “best, cheapest, (and) shortest way to cut through the problem.”

Sidebar
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – Attorney Glenn Callahan revealed on Thursday that there are about 29 more buildings in the Wildwoods that were misclassified and fail to meet state building codes. The properties were not on the original list of 79 buildings uncovered during an investigation by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) last year.
“You mean you still don’t know who may be (affected)? You had six months to do this.” Superior Court Judge Steven Perskie told Callahan. “Someone at your end of the process is brain-dead.”
Callahan said he had just learned about the additional violations prior to Thursday’s hearing, and the affected property owners had still not been notified.
He planned to issue those violation notices as quickly as possible and to meet with the additional property owners to resolve the issues.
Two attorneys at Thursday’s hearing took issue with Callahan claim that he had just learned about the additional violations.
One said that she notified Callahan months ago that about 30 more buildings in the Wildwoods were affected and that the problems are prevalent statewide - “up and down the coast.”
An architect’s attorney also revealed that his client claimed to have notified Callahan of the additional properties months ago, but was told, “Don’t worry about it.”
Callahan testified on Thursday that 26 of the original 79 affected condos had reached agreements for repairs. A few others were found to be compliant and were removed.
With the addition of some 29 more buildings, however, the number of buildings in violation without agreements again climbs to about 75.


WILDWOOD – Commissioner Fred Wager, 78, was treated at Burdette Tomlin Hospital this week for a kidney condition, according to city officials. He was recently released from the hospital and admitted to a local convalescent center for rehabilitation and further treatment, sources say.
Wager’s illness was first revealed to the public at a commission meeting last Wednesday, by Mayor Ernie Troiano, who asked those present at the meeting to pray for his quick recovery.
“He was a little lethargic. It could be total exhaustion,” Troiano said in an interview last week. “He spends a lot of time on that boardwalk.”
Initial reports on Wager’s health indicated that he might have had a stroke. He seemed disoriented, sources said, and his speech was slurred. Others said, he was uncharacteristically quiet in the weeks leading up to hospitalization, and he seemed to be having trouble walking.
Now according to Troiano and other sources, Wager’s health problems seem to be related to his kidneys, though still no official diagnosis has been made public. A spokesperson from Burdette Tomlin said that because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a law protecting patients’ privacy, the hospital could not confirm admission and discharge dates, or even if Wager had been a patient there at all. Likewise, local convalescent centers would not confirm if Wager was a patient there.
Troiano said that he has not been able to get in touch with Wager, but from what he understands he is conscious and able to talk, and he is recuperating.
Reportedly, Wager exhibited symptoms of an illness for some time before agreeing to seek treatment at the hospital. He finally did so last week at the insistence of friends, family and co-workers at city hall.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, one in nine adults, have Chronic Kidney Disease. Initial signs of kidney malfunction often go unnoticed, but as the condition worsens, symptoms sometimes become more pronounced.
According to Mayoclinic.com, kidney patients may suffer from: “decreased urine output;…fluid retention, causing swelling in…legs, ankles or feet; drowsiness; shortness of breath; fatigue; confusion.” In severe cases, kidney failure may cause seizures or coma, the Web site states. Treatment for the disease often includes dialysis, which does not heal the kidney, but periodically removes toxins from the body.
There has been no official confirmation on Wager’s diagnosis or treatment plan.
Wager is the city’s Commissioner of Public Safety and Tourism, and he has made a name for himself by policing the Boardwalk and stringently enforcing the laws that restrict bicycling there.
As Commissioner of Public Safety, Wager also oversees the city’s police and fire departments, as well as the courts, but Troiano said that the police chief, the fire chief and administrators at the courthouse “know what to do” on a day to day basis. According to Troiano, it is unclear how long Wager will be undergoing medical treatment, but the mayor said he and Commissioner Kathy Breuss are available to assist employees in Wager’s departments as needed.
“I told them I will help them out any way I can,” Troiano said.
Under Wildwood’s commission form of government, two out of the three elected commissioners must vote in favor of a resolution or ordinance in order for it to pass. With Breuss and Troiano in attendance, the city’s business can proceed as normal, Troiano said.
State laws stipulates that an elected official’s seat is considered vacated if he or she fails to participate in government for a period of 8 consecutive weeks unless excused by a majority of the governing body’s members. A member of the governing body can not be removed if an absence is “due to legitimate illness,” though a member may be removed if a “judicial determination” is made that he is “physically or mentally incapable of serving.”
The Municipal Vacancy Law also states “If a vacancy (in a non-partisan government) occurs subsequent to Sept. 1 of the last year of the term,…the office may filled for (the) unexpired term by an appointment by the Governing Body.”
The next municipal election is May 9, 2007.
Wager has served the city as either an elected commissioner or mayor since 1993.

NORTH WILDWOOD – The Irish Fall Festival may be a weekend of dueling fiddles this year now that headliner Blackthorn is taking its act south to the Bolero, and plans are in the works for a satellite Irish celebration in Wildwood.
“I know a lot of North Wildwood bar owners are not very happy about it,” Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano said.
And apparently neither is the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), who have hosted North Wildwood’s signature event for 15 years. It is estimated that the weekend brings as many as 200,000 people to town.
In previous years, Moore’s Inlet hosted Blackthorn and its significant following in a big tent set up on its Spruce Avenue parking lot, but when the landmark bar met the wrecking ball last fall, Blackthorn was homeless. Festival planners scrambled to come up with a new arrangement to compensate for the loss of the major venue. The city even offered to donate the use of its Spruce Avenue municipal parking lot to North Wildwood bar owners who might want to host the band. But the businesses were unable or unwilling to pay Blackthorn’s hefty asking price, a figure reported to be about $110,000 for the weekend.
“Nobody wanted them,” said Bolero’s owner, Wally Lero said, but he did, even though by his own account, the band is “very expensive.”



Blackthorn’s annual appearance at Moore’s was a tradition with some festival-goers, but the landmark bar was demolished this year to make way for the condo boom, and the band was homeless.

And he went a step further and booked six additional Irish acts to play at the Bolero and in a tent on the adjacent parking lot throughout the weekend. “I bet we have more Irish bands at the Bolero than they have in all of North Wildwood,” he said.

The city offered to donate it’s Municpal parking lot to the North Wildwood Tavern Association The band inspired the ire of festival planners, when it advertised on its website that the party was moving to Wildwood this year. According to AOH Treasurer Jack Maley, the band also made repeated announcements at their Philadelphia performances that the festival was moving to Wildwood this year.
“That got people irked,” Maley said. “They thought they were the festival. That is not the festival.”

“We’ve had this festival for 15 years.
announce the festival also s of the The band played for 15 years in the big tent set up for the occasion in the Moore’s Inlet parking lot, but with new condos being erected on the site of the former landmark bar, the headliner band was homeless.

Mayor Ernie Troiano has no reservations about managing the crowds…even if they are “Fighting Irish”
“We’ve always been able to handle crowds,” he said, and “We’re interest to see how it works out. Anybody brings a more tame crowds than the Hotrods.”


By MAUREEN L. CAWLEY
Correspondent
WILDWOOD CREST – Sometimes Zoning Officer Elizabeth Terenik has to tell people things they don’t want to hear. It’s part of the job.
People sometimes buy a property with false expectations, she said, and more than once, a new home buyer has come to the zoning office with plans to expand a property, only to find out that his big plans exceed what is allowed by the borough’s zoning laws.
A new zoning ordinance requiring sellers to obtain a “Certificate of Zoning Use Compliance” before settlement is expected to help change that. The goal, Terenik says, is to inform buyers about what is permitted on the property before they buy.
“It’s a consumer protection issue,” Terenik said. “So they know what they are buying.”
The zoning certificate will ensure that a property is compliance with local zoning laws, or let buyers now if it is a “pre-existing non-conforming use” in the zone where it is located. As zoning laws change, sometimes properties that are in place no longer conform to the new regulations. They are “grandfathered,” in that use, as long as no major changes are made to the building.
The borough adopted a new Master Plan last year, and permitted uses and requirements were changes to suit the borough’s long term plan for development.
With a certificate of compliance in hand at the time of title transfer, a buyer should have a good understanding of what exists and what is allowed on the property being purchased. So a new homeowner, who hopes to expand his non-conforming duplex, will not be surprised to find out that it can’t expand beyond the current footprint of the building. Or the owners of a bungalow on a 30-foot lot will not be surprised to find out that they may not be able to build up as high as their neighbor.
“I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news,” Terenik said, and the new ordinance will help.
The new law will also help the zoning office to get a handle on the condo-conversions that are taking place in many area motels. Terenik emphasizes that the zoning office only has jurisdiction over how a property is used, not over who owns a unit. In fact, if a motel owner wants to sell his units to individual owners, he may bypass zoning altogether and apply to the State Department of Community Affairs for the permit to divide the ownership of the property.
Crest zoning law requires that regardless of who owns each unit, to be considered a motel under current zoning laws, the building must meet the requirements of motel – that is, it must provide transient lodging, pay tourism taxes on rooms, and provide onsite management.
In exchange, motel rooms are only required to have 1 parking spot, and in some cases they can exceed the height requirement for a multi-family dwelling. The zoning certificate will make these requirements clear to buyers who are purchasing motel rooms as investments. Properties that cease to operate as motels must then meet the zoning requirements for multifamily dwellings, Terenik said. That means providing appropriate storage for longer term use and two onsite parking spots, instead of one.
Terenik said the different requirements are best understood by comparing the way a family might use a motel room as opposed to a private apartment. In a condo, they might need more storage for bikes or other equipment, and they might bring two cars over an extended stay. In a motel, storage isn’t as necessary, and a family may be more likely to arrive in one car together.
The certificate of zoning compliance will ensure that properties continue to meet the zoning requirements they were built under. If an owner wants to make changes that do not conform, they will need to present their plans to the zoning board for a variance.
The zoning certificate will also be a valuable tool for the tax assessor, as well, since it will create and continually update the descriptions of properties in the borough. The certificate will provide a record of a property’s location, the structures on the lot and the number of rooms within the structures.

Side Bar

-Property owners are required to apply for a certificate of ownership prior to transferring the title of their property. The application fee is $50 if requested more than ten days before the transfer; $70 four to nine days before, and $125 less than ten days before.
-If a transfer occurs without the certificate, the buyer or the seller has 20 days to obtain the certificate before being subject to violations or penalties.
-The certificate will be issued based on an inspection by a zoning official, a current survey or other documentation. The tax assessor may accompany any inspector for tax assessment purposes
-New construction (within the past 18 months) is exempt from the requirement, as are family transfers or estate planning if under $1,000.
-The certificate is valid for 180 days.

WILDWOOD CREST – Sometimes Zoning Officer Elizabeth Terenik has to tell people things they don’t want to hear. It’s part of the job.
People sometimes buy a property with false expectations, she said, and more than once, a new home buyer has come to the zoning office with plans to expand a property, only to find out that his big plans exceed the borough’s zoning requirements.
A new zoning ordinance requiring sellers to obtain a “Certificate of Zoning Use Compliance” before settlement is expected to help change that. The goal, Terenik says, is to inform buyers about what is permitted on the property before they buy.
“It’s a consumer protection issue,” Terenik said. “So they know what they are buying.”
The zoning certificate will ensure that a property is compliance with local zoning laws, or if it is a “pre-existing non-conforming use” in the zone where it is located. As zoning laws change, sometimes properties that are in place no longer conform to the new regulations, but they are “grandfathered,” as long as no major changes are made to building.
The borough adopted a new Master Plan last year, and changes were made to the allowable uses and requirements in different zones. With the certificate in hand at the time of title transfer, a buyer should have a good understanding of what exists and what is allowed on a property. That way someone, who hopes to expand his non-conforming duplex, will not be surprised to find out that it can’t expand beyond the current footprint of the building. Or the owner of a bungalow on a 30 foot lot will not be surprised to find out that they may not be able to build up as high as his neighbor.
“I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news,” Terenik said, and the new ordinance will help.
The new law will also help the zoning office to get a handle on the condo-conversions that are taking place in many area motels. Terenik emphasizes that the zoning office only have jurisdiction over how a property is used, not over who owns a unit. In fact, if a motel owner wants to sell his units to individual owners, he may bypass zoning altogether and apply to the State Department of Community Affairs for the permit to divide the ownership of the property.
Crest zoning law requires that regardless of who owns each unit, to be considered a motel, the building must meet the requirements of motel – that is, it must provide transient lodging, pay tourism taxes on rooms, and provide onsite management. In exchange they are only required to have 1 parking spot and in some cases they can exceed the height requirement for a multi-family dwelling. The zoning certificate will make these requirements clear to buyers who are purchasing motel rooms as investments. Properties that cease to operate as motels must then meet the zoning requirements for multifamily dwellings, Terenik said. That means providing appropriate storage for longer term use and two onsite parking spots, instead of one.
Terenik said the different requirements are best understood comparing the way a family might use a motel room as opposed to a private apartment. In a condo, they might need more storage for bikes or other equipment, and they might bring two cars over an extended stay. Storage isn’t as necessary in a motel, and a family may be more likely to arrive in one car together.
The certificate of zoning compliance will ensure that properties continue to meet the zoning requirements they were built under. If an owner wants to make changes that do not conform, they will need to present their plans to the zoning board for a variance.
The zoning certificate will also be a valuable tool for the tax assessor, as well, since it will create and continually update the descriptions of properties in the borough. The certificate will provide of record of a property’s location, the structures on the lot and the number of rooms within the structures.

Side Bar

-Property owners are required to apply for a certificate of ownership prior to transferring the title of their property. The application fee is $50 if requested more than ten days before the transfer; $70 four to nine days before, and $125 less than ten days before.
-If a transfer occurs without the certificate, the buyer or the seller has 20 days to obtain the certificate before being subject to violations or penalties.
-The certificate will be issued based on an inspection by a zoning official, a current survey or other documentation. The tax assessor may accompany any inspector for tax assessment purposes
-New construction (within the past 18 months) is exempt from the requirement, as are family transfers or estate planning if under $1,000.
-The certificate is valid for 180 days.

Photo Credit – Wildwood Historical Society
Caption - During a Nor’easter in 1962, nearly 100 of 400 homes in West Wildwood were washed off of their foundations by flood waters.

By MAUREEN L. CAWLEY
Correspondent
WILDWOOD – What would happen now if a major hurricane with 40 foot waves and 100 mile an hour winds hit Wildwood? And what would still be standing when the water receded and the winds stopped?
It’s a “what if” proposition that few local officials are willing to entertain. But not one without precedent.
A Category 4 hurricane once slammed the Coast of Cape May County, and blazed a trail of destruction that roughly followed the route of the Garden State Parkway. But in spite of 200 mile an hour winds, not one building in Wildwood was destroyed.
The reason?
The storm hit on September 3, 1821 more than a century before the Parkway was built. The island then was a lush forest, populated only by wild animals and grazing cattle from the mainland. Since then the Jersey shore has gotten a taste of big storms, but Wildwood has evaded the majority of the damage.
The Great Hurricane of September, 1944 battered the coast and cost New Jersey residents $25 million in damages, but Wildwood got off relatively easy. The bulk of the damage occurred elsewhere. Atlantic City’s Steel Pier was split in half, and portions of Cape May’s boardwalk was reduced to splinters. In Long Beach Island, some 300 homes were destroyed.
According to newspaper reports from the time, a fishing pier in North Wildwood was also destroyed, the bridge tender’s house was washed off of grassy sound bridge, and railroad service was temporarily suspended when the train tracks in Wildwood Crest were washed away.
In the Wildwoods, however, during a Nor’easter in 1962, West Wildwood was severely damaged, when waters from the rising tides washed almost 100 houses from their foundations and floated them away.
But it could have been worse, some say.
In an interview with the Middle Township Gazette in 1996, local historian Bob Bright, Sr., characterized Wildwood as “very, very lucky” in its experiences with major storms.
“We didn’t have the bad winds. We didn’t have as many houses washed down with the exception of West Wildwood,” Bright said.

Learning from the past?
Since then, the Wildwoods has seen a major real estate boom, and some who have watched the quickly changing landscape have wondered how new construction (and well-known landmarks) would weather a storm like Hurricane Katrina.
FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is looking for answers to these questions, and when the flood waters recede from a major storm event, they dispatch Mitigation Assessment Teams (MATs) to look at how different types of structures have withstood Mother Nature’s blows. The findings are designed to help plan more effective reconstruction and to prevent loss of life and property in future disasters.
According to a MAT 2004 report that looked at the damage done by Hurricane Charley there is some good news. Since damage done by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, “structural capacities appeared to have improved” due in part to stronger building codes and better enforcement, the report says.
The bad news is two fold. Populations in coastal towns continue to increase, and in some cases weak building codes and poor enforcement still leave the infrastructure in coastal towns open to severe damage from winds and water.

Floods
The impact of flood waters or a storm surge on a structure is tough to imagine, but North Wildwood Emergency Management Coordinator Gus Mason uses this analogy: Imagine a gallon of milk. You know how big it is and how much it weighs. “Now imagine a wave 25 feet high,” Mason said.
A pounding from a wall of water that heavy and powerful can obliterate a wall of wood and gypsum board. That’s why MAT, recommends that building codes require new construction to be built above the flood zones on foundations or pilings that allow flood water to flow underneath. Homes on slab foundations on the Gulf Coast faired very badly during Katrina, and many were destroyed by “waves, surge, and floating debris.”
The MAT team also found that high rise structures faired rather well against flood waters. The report on Katrina states: “Some of the high-rise casino hotels and condo¬miniums close to the shoreline experienced some of the worst storm surge depths and wave heights, (but) the foundation stability of the large buildings was not affected.” Most were made of cast-in-place, reinforced concrete, and though the water flowed through the lowest floors of the buildings, the foundations were not destroyed.

Winds
The gusts that damaged the Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrina were believe to have been as high as 120 miles per hour, but the MAT investigation found that significant damage occurred even where “wind speeds were well below the design levels specified in the latest codes.” That may mean that current building codes don’t do enough to protect structures from wind damage.
Wood buildings of both old and new construction sustained the most damage during Katrina. Structural damage occurred when roof sheathing panels failed and caused an ““unzipping” effect or progressive failure where one failure leads to a series of subsequent failures,” Mat’s Katrina report states. Vinyl siding and synthetic stucco, or EIFS, also failed against Katrina’s winds.
Robert J. Scully, curator of the Wildwood Historical Society and a local builder said that modern-day Wildwood has never seen winds like those from Katrina, and they could be cause for alarm.
“If the roof trusses used in today’s construction are not properly braced, it’s quite possible it could cause a failure in the truss system,” he said. That means that roof could be flying off properties.
Concrete and steel reinforced buildings withstand storm the best, Scully said, and that is what the MAT team that studied Katrina found as well.

It’s not what you are, it’s where you are.
Though in some cases it matters less how a building is made and more where it is located. The center of the island for the most part tends to be higher and drier. Bayside property owners expect flood with high tides. During a storm event the likelihood of storm damage goes us exponentially.
There is no predicting The Wildwood Convention Center might withstand the onslaught of the ocean and high winds. It is new construction and therefore built according to recent building codes, but it also sits in the v-zone and would likely be assaulted by a tidal surge and large waves in a storm.
The boardwalk is also built in a v-zone, but because of the way it’s constructed, “the water would pass underneath,” Scully said. But he added: “The rides would take a beating.”
It’s better to be on higher elevation if a storm hits, but there are no guarantees. If a storm is headed our way, every attempt will be made to get people to leave, Emergency Management Coordinator Gus Mason said. Because by all accounts, the best place to be when a hurricane hits is as far away as possible