By Stephen Appezzato
MIDDLETOWN – After almost a decade in the works, the public will soon enjoy new access to the local watershed.
The Monmouth County Park System recently revealed that the first phase of the Swimming River Park project on W. Front Street could be completed this spring. Visitors will soon have access to the new park, including amenities such as a paved perimeter walking path, boat ramp, kayak launch beach, riverfront plaza, water access and a floating dock for fishing and crabbing.
Completion of the first phase of the project, which began last spring, was originally slated for the end of 2022. But long lead times from utility companies for relocating services to the site pushed the anticipated date for Phase 1 completion to mid-April.
“When the park opens, residents will have a new way to access the Swimming River and Navesink River for kayaking, crabbing, fishing and simply enjoying the view and the wildlife,” said Monmouth County Commissioner Ross Licitra, the county parks liaison.
The second phase of the project, the construction of a visitor center, is currently in the design and funding stage with an anticipated completion date two to three years from now. When the visitor center is open, residents will also have access to boat rentals.
The land, which was formerly Chris’ Landing, was acquired by the county in 2015. In 2018 the county purchased an attached property, the previous site of Chris’ Deli and Liquor, establishing the current park boundaries.
Construction of the Swimming River Park was a joint project between Monmouth County Park System and the Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF). According to its website, the MCF’s objective is “to preserve land by determining how a property will be best protected and utilized so the public-at-large benefits.”
The foundation, which provided financial assistance and served as a liaison between property owners and the county, helped facilitate the two land acquisitions.
Additionally, the MCF oversaw the initial site cleanup and remediation of the land, performed by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB), a multidisciplinary civil engineering, consulting and design firm. Before any site renovations could begin, unearthed underground fuel tanks required an environmental hazard investigation. Since that time, site cleanup and project management has shifted to the Monmouth County Park System’s oversight and remains regulated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
“MCF congratulates the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners and the County’s stellar Park System for bringing Swimming River Park to fruition. We are proud to have played a role,” said William Kastning, executive director of the MCF, in a release. “An endeavor over a decade in the making, Swimming River Park preserves green space and restores a natural watershed for the permanent benefit of Monmouth County residents and visitors.”
Swimming River Park will also contain an overlook memorial to MCF cofounder Judith Stanley Coleman, who passed away in 2010. Coleman was a renowned local community activist and philanthropist who resided in Monmouth County. The memorial will be funded by donations made to the MCF in Coleman’s honor and construction will be overseen by the park system. The overlook feature has an anticipated completion date of October.
The article originally appeared in the February 9 – 15, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
