By Emily Schopfer
FAIR HAVEN – The borough has applied for a 2026 state Green Acres grant to transform the long abandoned waterfront lot at 21 Fair Haven Road into a community gathering place.
The borough parks and recreation department presented the grant proposal to the borough council at its Feb. 11 meeting and was given the go-ahead to apply for funding.
The Green Acres grant, funded by the state Department of Environmental Protection, would provide $318,750 of the total $1.275 million needed for the project, explained borough administrator Christopher York during the meeting. The remaining $956,250 would come from borough funds, without incurring any debt, York said, although the borough is seeking other sources of revenue, including a 2026 Monmouth County Open Space Grant.
To apply for the grants, preliminary concept plans have to be provided. The plans were presented to the public and the council by Richard Gardella, director of engineering and a planning and zoning officer, and D.J. Breckenridge, the parks and recreation director.
The borough sought community input, Gardella explained, and the resulting concept plan captures as much of that input as possible.
The plans depict a “passive park design” with “low recreational impact, such as walking, sitting, nature observation,” as opposed to “loud obstructive sport complexes and playgrounds,” Breckenridge said.
“A place to educate the community on different ecological things, nature, ‘walk and talks,’ music, things like that for all different ages throughout the community,” is how Breckenridge described the transformation.
Both Gardella and Breckenridge noted that the concept plans are not finalized and shoreline protection will be a priority on the project, which appealed to at least one Fair Haven resident who raised concerns during the meeting.
“I’m going to hold you to the fact that the concept plan is not set in stone,” said Susan O’Brien, “because I was very unhappy when I looked at it to see just how much bulkhead is going to go there.”
Bulkheads are man-made structures installed along shorelines, designed to withstand the forces of waves and currents, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). In contrast, living shorelines use organic materials such as stones, sand, or plants to protect shorelines from erosion and habitat loss. On its website, the NJDEP notes that living shorelines are “frequently more beneficial than hard structure responses, such as bulkheads.”
Mayor Josh Halpern, on behalf of the council, said a living shoreline would be the preferred option. “We’re working with professionals to see what the best use of that shoreline is, whether it’s a living shoreline, which I think everyone is in agreement with that we would prefer. But if we’re told by professionals that a living shoreline doesn’t work for that specific property, then the next thing would be a bulkhead,” Halpern said.
York added that a living shoreline would also be more cost-friendly and told the public that he had been working with Stevens Institute of Technology on the matter. He said a represen- tative from the institute was set to come out for surveying, but the winter weather prevented it until snow on the property melts.
Regardless of whether the project moves forward with a natural shoreline or bulkhead, the borough and York view it as a win for the community. “Any way to preserve waterfront access in New Jersey and in any community is a positive thing,” York said.
The site has sat vacant for close to a decade, after it was one of only two homes in Fair Haven severely damaged during Super Storm Sandy in 2012, according to York. The lot was acquired by the borough roughly two years ago, and the home was demolished in the fall of 2025.
The Green Acres application was due Feb. 27 and York estimated that the borough could hear word on the application around June.
The article originally appeared in the March 12 – 18, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
