SEA ISLE CITY, Nov. 10, 2026 — Sea Isle City would spend $10.5 million on stormwater pumping stations over the next five years under a $38.6 million capital plan unveiled Tuesday, Sea Isle News reported.
Roads, drainage and pumping stations take the biggest share of the 2027–2031 plan, part of the city's long-term effort to protect the low-lying island from chronic flooding, according to the report. The plan also covers water and sewer upgrades and upkeep of the beaches, Promenade, playgrounds and public restrooms.
"We keep chipping away," Business Administrator George Savastano said of the flood work.
Savastano and Chief Financial Officer Jennifer McIver presented the plan at a City Council workshop. Mayor Leonard Desiderio's administration drew it up. Council has the final say, can change it and is scheduled to vote on it in December.
Council members Mary Tighe, William Kehner and Ian Ciseck attended and pressed for details on several projects. Tighe said she doesn't expect Council to make major changes. "They covered everything pretty much," she said of the presentation.
Pumping stations
Pumping stations collect floodwater and send it back into the bay much faster than streets drain on their own after a coastal storm. Ocean City and Avalon are among the shore communities that already use them, Sea Isle News reported.
Sea Isle City built its first station in 2019 in the flood-prone bayfront neighborhood at Sounds Avenue and 38th Street. It cost about $800,000.
The next one is planned next to the Community Center on 46th Street. It would protect the area from Park Road to Landis Avenue, roughly between 43rd and 47th streets, out to the bay. Construction is set to begin in 2027.
The plan puts $1.5 million toward pumping stations in 2027. Savastano estimates the 46th Street station will cost about $5 million to build, and most of that money was approved in a 2025 bond ordinance.
More stations are planned with Cape May County, Savastano said. One area under consideration is the Landis Avenue corridor between 38th and 43rd streets.
Roads and drainage
The plan proposes $3.5 million over five years for roads and drainage, including $1.5 million in 2027. The paving and drainage projects will run from 33rd Street to 53rd Street, Savastano said.
Beaches and playgrounds
Nearly $7.2 million would go to the beaches, the bayfront and the Promenade. That includes $3 million for the next beach replenishment project, expected in 2029.
Another $50,000 in 2027 would buy more beach mats, which make deep sand easier to walk on. Savastano said the mats are among the city's most requested items.
The plan also sets aside $250,000 in 2028 for shade at the Dealy Field playground, where the city is considering shade "sails," Savastano said. The city has weighed options for years after residents and parents asked for cover over playground equipment that gets hot in the sun.
"If there's an opportunity, a path, I think we at least need to explore it," Ciseck said of shading the city's playgrounds.
