MARGATE CITY — The locals are getting a campaign together to build a boardwalk, something this shore town hasn't had for decades.

Lucy the Elephant Executive Director Richard Helfant says when the Army Corps of Engineers recently built dunes to protect against storms, they created a "dead space" on the beach.

"The Army Corps of Engineers built a system of dunes along the Margate beach front, which basically cut the beach in half. You have the bulkhead, then you have this dead zone between the bulkhead and the dunes. You have to walk over the dunes, then you get to the beach."

He adds that a boardwalk would eliminate a barrier for the elderly, for people with disabilities and for families with young children to get over the dunes and on to the beach.

"Having the boardwalk eliminates that, so it provides handicapped accessibility to the beach front."

Helfant says a boardwalk "changes the complexion of Margate. It makes it more of a community." The project will cost approximately $30 million.

"The first step is to get a referendum on the ballot, to find out what the voice of the people is."

They hope to have a boardwalk ballot question before voters by the municipal election in May 2019.

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