June 27th 2021

The City of Cape May began work this week on the long-delayed Lafayette Street Park.  

According to a release, work on the project commenced just hours after Cape May Elementary School closed for summer recess, with the removal of the debilitated dugouts and removal of the “roofs” on the entrance gates, affectionately called “Darth Vader helmets.” 

The completion of Lafayette Street Park has stalled for four years because of failures to sort out legal and environmental issues. Shortly after Mayor Zack Mullock’s administration took office in January, negotiations got on track with JCP&L, (Jersey Central Power & Light), which owns a major portion of the property and is responsible for the cleanup of the land, to reinvigorate the languished park plans. 

In addition, the new administration relieved the previous engineering firm of its duties.  

Mullock stated, “the previous administration had paid over $430,000 toward engineering. That is an outrageous amount of money to pay to engineer a simple park. It is even more absurd that we have very little to show for it.”  

The city also replaced the same firm as the licensed site remediation professional (LSRP) environmental specialist to finish the work at what Mullock said is “a reduced rate than was previously being paid.” 

While waiting for the environmental and legal issues to proceed, the city looked to start Phase 4 of the project, which are nature trails to the wetlands portion of the four-pronged plan. This, too, has been stalled when it was discovered the previous administration never filed a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) application. “Even though the land had been deeded over from the Board of Education to the city,” stated Mayor Mullock, “previously, the city never made an application to the DEP. Today, we have taken the steps to make an application to the DEP, something that should have been done years ago.” 

The Lafayette Street Park Project began under the administration of Edward Mahaney, in 2009. At that time, Phase 1, nearest the elementary school, which includes the playground, was completed in 2011, with grant money obtained from New Jersey Economic Development Agency (NJEDA). The next three 

phases drifted into limbo; however, various open space and preservation-minded organizations have maintained their commitment to grant monies for the projects. 

While sorting out the environmental and legal issues, the administration and Mullock have met with the Wise-Anderson family, for discussions on continuing with their family name as part of the park.  

Mullock stated, “We also had a great discussion with Cape May resident Kyle Anderson, father of NBA player Kyle F. Anderson, about the family donating to the park. We talked about NBA Cares, the NBA’s charitable arm, donating to the basketball court, as well.” 

According to Mullock, “We are improving the basketball court at Kiwanis Park (Duck Pond), on Madison Avenue. Cape May is currently working on bids to redo the Kiwanis Park basketball court and will soon award that project. The city is partnering with a local charity on this basketball court, as well.”  

These projects build on the City of Cape May’s history of successful private-public partnerships. 

Mullock stated, “Lafayette Street Park has been a long, difficult and expensive mess, but we are actively turning it around and see light at the end of the tunnel. We are working with the right people, all with one goal. When we have the go-ahead, we will be ready, and we will get it done.”