MIDDLETOWN – Long envisioned, a waterfront park will now become a reality at a site that is currently home to Chris’ River Plaza Marina.
The parties involved are expected this week to close on the $3.81 million sale of the approximately 14 acres that will be the newest Monmouth County park, to be called Swimming River Park.
The Monmouth County freeholders have been working with the Monmouth Conservation Foundation for the better part of a decade to make this project a reality, said William Kastning the foundation’s executive director.
Monmouth Conservation Foundation is a countywide land trust, established 37 years ago to preserve open space and farmland in the county. To date the foundation has directly preserved more than 6,500 acres and collaboratively saved 16,000 acres throughout the county.
Initially the township governing body had expressed interest in acquiring the marina property about 12 years ago, but local officials ultimately decided to not move forward with it, “and the county stepped up,” according to Kastning.
The foundation contributed $200,000 toward the site’s purchase, including a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres open space program, made available to the foundation.
Chris’ River Plaza Marina, overlooking the Swimming River, is located at 483 West Front St., just west across the Hubbard’s Bridge from Red Bank.
The park will eventually provide for public passive recreation opportunities, including available parking that will accommodate boat trailers and an improved boat launch ramp – much needed public access to the area waterways.
“People will just be able to hang out, look at the river view, a great view and have access to the water,” with the site and future visitors benefiting from the infrastructure improvements, with the newly constructed Hubbard’s Bridge and area road repairs, said Monmouth County Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone.
The property is located at the confluences of the Navesink and Swimming rivers, abutting the five-acre Monmouth Park System owned Swimming River Greenway.
There remains issues with contamination, Kastning acknowledged, but cleanup work continues and shouldn’t delay establishing the park within a projected 18 to 24 months.
The site is being cleared of remaining polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from old asphalt pavements and millings, as well as a PCB “hotspot”; there are “historic pesticides” from when there were apple orchards in the area; and fuel storage tanks have already been removed to the satisfaction of state environmental regulators, according to Kastning.
The site, which has served as a sort of unofficial park for years (with local residents using the location in the winter for sledding), will continue to operate allowing boat launching from the location until construction commences. Hours and ramp fees are posted on the county park system website.
“This’ll be a huge addition,” to the county park inventory, Arnone said. “And that’s what people have to realize, it’s another example of your tax dollars being utilized to benefit people’s quality of life.”
The site is also home to the family owned and operated Chris’ Deli and Liquor. The future of that business remains unclear. Last year, however, Christine Tramitz, daughter of Chris DeFilippo who started the marina and deli business, said she planned to continue to operate the deli and live at her home located on the property.
Tramitz was not available this week for comment.
DeFilippo, died last November at 92; he opened the deli and marina in 1949 after moving to Middletown from Red Bank.
By John Burton
