Police chief worries state isn't listening to A.C. on safety

ATLANTIC CITY — The resort's chief of police is concerned that the state is not adequately listening to local public safety voices as the city expands The Walk shopping and entertainment complex.

“It seems counterintuitive that though they may be professionals, those people who live in Mercer County, Trenton or even Pennsylvania have the final say on construction and redevelopment,” police Chief John J. Mooney III said.

At issue is the fact that as a state entity, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, or CRDA, does not need local approval for its development plans. The redevelopment agency funded by the resort's casinos submits drawings and proposals to the city Planning Board, which can only give nonbinding advice and recommendations.

By comparison, Mooney said local officials assembling the city's Main Street redevelopment plans have been receptive to his and city Fire Chief John J. Bereheiko's input.

Bereheiko was out of town and unavailable for comment.

The CRDA's Karlis Povisils, who oversees The Walk on a day-to-day basis, said the agency did everything it was required to do. It files its plans with the city, and he said the public-safety issue never occurred to him.

“I don't know the extent to which city departments talk to each other,” he said.

Until this spring, the city Planning Department did not routinely send development files to city police. A February cover sheet showed that Walk expansion plans went to seven city officials that included the engineer, construction officials and the Fine Arts Commission. City police were added later at its request, Planning Director Bill Crane said.

Mooney said he was concerned about the new direction that development of the Atlantic City Expressway terminus corridor is taking. Eventually, stores and shops will be on both sides of the corridor. Some problems have cropped up.

Last Saturday, for instance, police were summoned to disperse a 1,000-person crowd outside of the 40/40 Club, which sits at the intersection of Missouri and Atlantic Avenues. People were getting into traffic at the most congested part of the city.

“You're at the terminal end of a 44-mile long superhighway that brings traffic in and out of Atlantic City,” Mooney said. “We certainly don't want to discourage development, but we certainly want to create a safe environment.”

Another concern was the intersection of Atlantic and Arkansas Avenues, a block away. The former lighthouse park juts out there, creating a slight hourglass shape and a mild blind spot. He said there have been numerous accidents there.

When The Walk expands to that block, plans show a small access road will exit onto Arkansas midway between Atlantic and Arctic Avenues.

Crane said the city reviews The Walk's plans, including traffic.

While the CRDA hired engineers Schoor-Depalma to study traffic, Crane said the city hired outside consultant Shropshire Associates to review it. The initial study, which counted December traffic, said the development would leave traffic in acceptable condition. Shropshire's analysis largely asked for more data, but questioned parking and car movement.

Mooney said there have been numerous accidents in the corridor area. While the department sees jaywalking he said, it is hard to educate violators on the rules if they are just in town for a day.

He wanted to see safe engineering and designs, followed up with education, then enforcement.

“Hopefully that is the last thing we'll have to do, stand on the corner and hand out tickets,” Mooney said. “But if we need to, we will.”

To e-mail Derek Harper at The Press:

dharper@pressofac.com