Sisters Eileen and Dottie Fean stand outside the Sea Isle City Community Lodge

SEA ISLE -- Two Sea Isle City sisters staged a sit-in, in protest of the city’s proposed plan to place its Welcome Center in front of the Community Lodge.

Dottie Fean, 84, and her sister Eileen Fean, 75, took their plight public on Fri., Sept. 23 as they sat on lawn chairs outside the Sea Isle City Community Lodge.

“They keep calling it a welcome center and it’s not. It’s an office building,” said Dottie Fean.

The plan for the new center includes space for four new offices as well a conference room and storage space, in addition to an area to be used for a the city’s beach tag office as well as the welcome center.

“We want them to use the old library,” said Dottie Fean. “How can they say it’s not safe?”

“It’s a brick building with a good roof,” added Eileen Fean. “All they would have to do is a little inside work.”

According to Mayor Len Desiderio, the battle of where to place the welcome center has been a long one. Using the library is not an option. The city’s plans include tearing down that edifice for additional parking spaces.

“Council has had numerous public hearings,” he told the Herald. “And after listening to the public, Council decided the foot of the bridge was the best place.”

According to the sisters, Desiderio met with their AARP group back in October, 2010 and “assured us that there would be no building in front of the lodge. After the election, it came out that it was a done deal.”

Desiderio stated that he thought “the Dennis Township side of the bridge would have been better, but Council felt that the best location is at the foot of the bridge.”

When asked if the proposed addition to the lodge is truly a welcome center or an office building, Desiderio said that the city’s tourism departmental offices will be moved to the welcome center.

“There is currently no place to get information when you come into the city,” he said.

The Fean’s also voiced their concern about the traffic coming off the Sea Isle Bridge. The new welcome center will sit several yards away from the foot of the bridge and the cars that speed over it.

To address the traffic issue, the mayor said that plans have been made for improvements to JFK Boulevard. Those plans include lifting the roadway as well as installing a traffic light at the corner of Park Avenue and JFK.

“Hopefully the work will start in the fall of 2012,” said the mayor. The $3 million project has already received federal approval.

Currently the lodge hosts a plethora of city activities such as AARP meetings, Sit and Be Fit classes, aerobic classes, cards, bingo as well as children’s programs.

“During the renovation, where are they going? They haven’t told us,” said Dottie Fean.

Desiderio said all programs currently at the lodge will continue to take place, even during construction. In the event a program does need to be relocated, the old library will be made available.

As to the sisters’ sit-in, Desiderio said he is fully supportive of them.

“I think it’s great,” he said. “They are using their freedom of speech and I respect them. These two women are Sea Isle treasures.”

“There are six restaurants, a fishing fleet and the rides here,” said Dottie Fean as she looked around the lodge’s immediate area. “We hope they stop.”