A plan could soon be in place to clear one of the
last remaining signs of damage in Toms River left over from Superstorm Sandy.
The city for years has been trying to purchase
the remains of Joey Harrison's Surf Club, as well as the adjacent land in the
Ortley Beach section of the township.
“The state has come up with some blue acres
funding to preserve that property, so that was a big help,” says Toms River Township Mayor Mo Hill.
Ocean County freeholders agreed last week to
purchase land from Toms River Township near the college, and adjacent to Cattus
Island Park. That money, combined with funding from the state's blue acres
program, is enough to purchase the area of Ortley Beach from the current
private owners.
“I think it's a win for the county to get
property for the college to expand one of their large parks and Toms River and
we have money in our open space account we can use to not only cement this
purchase, but also purchase other properties in Toms River,” says Mayor Hill.
“It’s a win all the way around.”
The remaining buildings would be demolished and
the parking lot would be refurbished using crushed clam shells, adding parking
to the area. The boardwalk would also be expanded. The deals still aren't
final, so there's no time frame yet.
With funding now set in place, the last step is
to purchase the surf club property and knock down the remaining condos.
“The thing that's appealing to us is that it
also preserves open space on the barrier island,” says Mayor Hill. “Residents
there are involved in rebuilding their homes and they've asked contributing to
the open space tax and this is our opportunity to purchase ocean front property
and preserve it from development.”
Mayor Hill did not say how much the property
would cost the township as negotiating continues.