PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the City of Atlantic City (“City”) will hold a virtual public hearing on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. Members of the public may participate in the hearing via video conference or by telephone. Those who wish to participate via video conference may access the hearing at https://bit.ly/green-acres-offshore (note: if manually typing in, please use all lowercase text). A toll-free dial-in option is available as well, via calling (877) 853-5247, and entering 823 4121 1062 as the webinar ID, and 469898 as the passcode. If using one-tap mobile, please use +13017158592,,82341211062#. Those planning to offer comments at the hearing may sign up to do so during the hearing.

The public hearing will also be televised at the Council Chambers at City Hall, located at 1301 Bacharach Blvd., Atlantic City, New Jersey. Members of the public may view the public hearing and submit comments during the broadcast of the hearing.

The purpose of the hearing will be to receive public comments on the proposed diversion of an approximately 1.8-acre portion of City-owned parkland pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:36-26.11(e). The affected properties owned by the City are as follows:

1. Block 1, Lots 58 and 59 (1.35 acres) – Beach/Boardwalk parcels between South Texas Avenue and Iowa Avenue.
2. Block 794, Lot 1 (0.19 acres) – Bader Field, 545 Albany Avenue.
3. Block 370, Lots 1.01, 2, and 2.01 (0.26 acres)– in-water Boat House parcel and Pete Pallitto Field located at the intersection of Fairmount Avenue and Sovereign Avenue.

As to said lands, permanent subsurface easements (totaling 1.8 acres) and temporary workspace (totaling 1.99 acres) is proposed to be acquired from the City by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1, LLC (“Atlantic Shores”) for the installation of the onshore underground interconnection cables associated with the proposed Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1. The lands in question are encumbered by State of New Jersey Green Acres restrictions, and a final application for the major diversion of said lands has been submitted to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (the “Department”), Green Acres Program, for approval by the Department’s Commissioner and by the State House Commission. As compensation for the diversion of the City-owned lands described above, the City agrees to encumber other City-owned lands north of West End Avenue (identified as Block 757 Lot 1; Block 756 Lot 1; Block 755, Lot 1; Block 754, Lot 1; Block 753 Lots 1,2,3,4; Block 752, Lot 1; Block 751, Lot 1; Block 750, Lot 1; Block 749, Lot 1; Block 748, Lot 1; Block 747, Lot 1; Block 746, Lot 1; Block 745, Lots 1 and 3; and paper streets to be vacated) for recreation and conservation purposes. Atlantic Shores has proposed a public enhancement project on the compensation parcels, as well as compensation for tree removal. Atlantic Shores has also agreed to compensate the City for temporary workspace.

In accordance with Green Acres rules, all written comments must be submitted by July 9, 2024 to Paula Geletei, City Clerk, 1301 Bacharach Blvd., Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 or at pgeletei@acnj.gov. A copy of any written comment must also be submitted to the Green Acres Program at PublicLandCompliance@dep.nj.gov. Please include “Atlantic Shores” in the subject line. Email comments are preferred, but comments may also be mailed to: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Transactions and Public Land Administration, Public Land Compliance Section, 401 East State Street, 7th Floor, Mail Code 401-07, P.O. Box 420, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0420.

A copy of any written comment on the proposed diversion request may also be directed to Terence Kelly, External Affairs Manager for Atlantic Shores One Dock 72 Way, Brooklyn, New York 11205. You may also email GreenAcrescomment@atlanticshoreswind.com with any comments or questions regarding the public hearing.

Copies of the diversion application are available to the public online at https://atlanticshoreswind.com/project-1-njdep-green-acres-diversion-application-2024/ or for inspection at Atlantic City, City Hall, located at 1301 Bacharach Blvd., Atlantic City, New Jersey, and at the Atlantic City Free Public Library, located at 1 N. Tennessee Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey.

View Official Notice Here