Rumson Looks To Buy Island Properties In The Navesink

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By Joseph Sapia
RUMSON – The borough is negotiating to buy two island properties in the Navesink River, which it says it could use to preserve open space, protect the river environment and control flood intensity.
The two islands sit near each other, just off Barley Point Island. Picnic Island, at 4.2 acres and the west side of Dorn Island, at 11.6 acres, are being offered for sale by The Dubouchet Holding Company of Ocean Township.
The only direct access to the undeveloped proper ties is by boat, unless one were to cross over private property via Barley Point Road to Dorn Island. The borough held a public hearing Tuesday on its intent to seek a Monmouth County Open Space Grant, administered by the county Park System, to help it buy the property. The borough is seeking $250,000 from the Park System, which the municipality would have to match.
A view of Barley Point Road, which is the only road access to Dorn’s Island. Photo by Anthony V. Cosentino
A view of Barley Point Road, which is the only road access to Dorn’s Island. Photo by Anthony V. Cosentino

Although there is no deal for the borough to buy the property public hearing had to be held because the grant application deadline was the following day, Wednesday, Sept. 14. No members of the public attended.

The county allows applications even if the applicant is not under contract to buy the property, according to borough officials. And the grant application could be withdrawn, they said.
Borough Administrator and Clerk Thomas Rogers declined to get into specifics of the negotiations.
Of the nearby two dozen or so islands on the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers, either in Rumson or other towns, most are publicly owned, Rogers said.
The islands are zoned “Public Facility-Open Space,” but a house is a permitted use, said Borough Engineer David Marks.
The approximately 16 acres of the islands represents about 2 percent of the borough’s 800 acres of open land, Marks said.