Monmouth Beach To Upgrade Its Bathing Pavilion

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By John Burton
MONMOUTH BEACH – The borough is planning to do a little work to its beach bathing pavilion to coincide with a planned sea wall project.
Borough officials applied to the state Department of Environmental Protection for a CAFRA (Coastal Area Facility Review Act) permit and state approval to undertake some site upgrades at the facility.
Plans call for the construction of a 5,950 square-foot deck and 1,024 square-foot shade structure. The new deck would allow people to see above the seawall to the beach and Atlantic Ocean, explained Mayor Susan Howard.
In addition, replacement stairs and a ramp will be built to allow public access over the planned sea wall extension to connect the deck and pavilion to the ocean and beach area. A planned 13,100 square-foot gravel staging area for the sea wall construction work will be used for additional parking after the project, according to the information the borough provided to the DEP.
This additional work is being done in conjunction with the state –  and federally funded $32 million sea wall repair and extension project.
That project will construct new portions where there are currently gaps and repair some damaged areas in the protective wall that separates Ocean Avenue/state Highway 36 and the beach and oceanfront.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is currently reviewing the sea wall project but a final plan has yet to be determined. The DEP’s Bureau of Coastal Engineering is overseeing the project, with the state and federal governments sharing the cost.
Bids are expected to go out in the coming months and work will start in late summer 2016, according to Lawrence Hajna, a DEP spokesman.
The bathing pavilion is borough-owned and operated, offering protected ocean swimming and a pool and amenities for season members and access to the beach for day visitors.
A CAFRA permit is required for any construction and development projects within a certain distance of waterways in New Jersey.
“We’re proceeding with the permitting process in order to ensure the improvements to the pavilion that will be needed with the sea wall project,” said Howard.