By Chris Rotolo
SEA BRIGHT – A redevelopment project proposed in 2018 for three riverfront parcels situated in the heart of the borough’s downtown district has changed hands.
Conceptual renderings for The Haven at Sea Bright were first presented during a special meeting of the borough council in December 2018 when Trip Brooks, president of the Asbury Park-based firm Brooks Real Estate Development, proposed the construction of 44 residential units on 2.97 acres along the Shrewsbury River from Front Street to River Street.
Following a period of dormancy during which the future of the project was uncertain, an April 2022 meeting of the governing body yielded an agreement to transfer oversight of the plan to the Red Bank firm Denholtz Properties.
During a May 23 interview with Steven Denholtz, the firm’s CEO confirmed that his group would move forward with the original site plan, which called for the following developments, all of which are “for sale” units, rather than rental units:
• Four 3,000-square-foot single-family homes between Beach Street and New Street
• Seven townhomes between New Street and Church Street
• One condominium building between Church Street and South Street with 15 units
• 18 additional townhomes between South Street and River Street
All single-family dwellings and townhomes were originally proposed to have three bedrooms each and would be equipped with a parking space. Additionally, during the initial proposal presentation, Brooks said 8.8 dwellings were required to be affordable housing units.
“It’s really a beautiful site plan and we’re going to remain true to that proposal,” Denholtz told The Two River Times. “We try to limit ourselves to taking on beautiful projects and this one is particularly gorgeous.”
In addition to the residential units, the site plan includes 810 feet of public riverfront boardwalk that will be constructed atop 840 feet of steel bulkhead, as well as an acre of public green space located between the borough’s public kayak launch on Front Street and River Street. This residential recreation area also includes a dog park, fishing pier and cleaning station. Entrances to the recreation area would be located on Surf Street, New Street and Church Street.
“We’re going to make a significant contribution towards ameliorating some of the stormwater drainage problems the town has, in addition to already reducing the impervious areas on the site as it exists today. We want this to be a continuation of what Sea Bright is trying to accomplish,” said Denholtz, who estimates the project will take 24 to 30 months to complete once they break ground.
Denholtz said even now he can recall the stillness and silence of Sea Bright when the borough was ravaged by the surge of Super Storm Sandy and noted the borough’s recovery over the last decade is a testament to the community’s resilience.
“That memory of where the town was, and where this part of the county was, is very tangible. Watching the way it’s come back, the effort and resources that have been committed, has been spectacular. And from our standpoint, it’s exciting to have the opportunity to be part of it,” Denholtz added.
He said the engineers consider catastrophic storm surges when formulating their designs and will ensure entrances to all dwellings are approximately 5-feet taller than required by borough regulations.
In April 2019, Brooks delivered a follow-up presentation that included additional renderings for a mixed-use construction and another single-family residence on a pair of Ocean Avenue parcels, as well as a 52-room boutique hotel located at the former site of the Sea Bright School.
Denholtz said the construction of The Haven and these additional projects are not connected.
The article originally appeared in the May 26 – June 1, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
