Condo owners hear plans for Ocean Ave.

Condo owners hear plans for Ocean Ave.
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH — Members of the Long Branch Coalition of Condominiums Association heard about plans to extend the boardwalk and change the flow of traffic on Ocean Avenue.

Speaking on behalf of the Save Ocean Avenue committee, Dennis Sherman went over some of the future goals for the group during the condominium association's annual meeting held at the Harbor Mansion recreation room.

"We want to put historical information along the boardwalk so people could read about the history of Long Branch," Sherman said. "We want to extend that bike path all the way from where it ends on South Bath to Morris Avenue.

"We would like to change the traffic pattern [on Ocean Avenue] to one-way traffic," he added.

Sherman suggested that traffic on Ocean Avenue be directed one way toward the south.

"We'd like to have the path on the right for joggers and bikers," he said. "If the traffic goes south, the bikes can go south on the right side."

According to Sherman, the committee is meeting with Director of Public Safety William Richards about changing the traffic pattern and hopes to make a pitch to the city in the near future.

"We are hoping to get a movement on this very quickly," Sherman said. "Then we will approach the City Council."

Sherman also cited congestion and dangerous traffic as some problems on Ocean Avenue that need to be fixed.

"If you try to cross the street, you take your life in your hands," he said. "The traffic is horrendous in the summer. Cars come in and they are looking for streets and looking for parking."

Sherman cited increased beach revenues in the city as a way the city can reinvest and improve the boardwalk.

"We've asked that the city take some of that money and reinvest it into the boardwalk, particularly the boardwalk on the south end," he said. "What we're really concerned about is the boardwalk from Brighton up to Pier Village."

Long Branch Councilman Brian Unger addressed the group at the end of the meeting.

"I think the idea has merit," he said. "On Ocean Avenue the traffic is very fast.

"I've always favored a way to make access across the road easier."

In regard to the design aspect of the plans, Unger suggested that professionals be involved.

"My input would be to make sure to involve people in the arts community who really, really know what they are doing," he said. "Make sure the design is smart.

"The worst thing would be if we have something like a name spelled wrong," he added. "Silly things like that would be embarrassing for Long Branch."

Also discussed at the meeting was the problem with storm-water runoff into the Branchport Creek.

"We don't want to have polluted waters because of Monmouth Park," LBCC President Bill McLaughlin said.

"Basically, run-off waste from the site is going into the river in an unacceptable toxicity level," LBCC treasurer Steve Molnar said. "This has been an ongoing issue for a couple years now and it seems like Monmouth Park has really stonewalled the issue."

Molnar said Oceanport has been awarded $22 million to remediate the problem and said LBCC was one of the groups that pushed for that.

"Just recently we got some movement on it, partly with the help of the condo coalition, and also from some of the politicians from the Oceanport side," he said.

"The New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust awarded $22 million to Oceanport, which will act as a pass-through for the loan," he added. "That will take care of the water run-off issues.

"All this was done with the help of the state legislators," he continued. Another success we'd like to highlight that our group was able to push, obviously we are not the only group."

The LBCC holds one meeting a year, but discussed the possibility of holding a meeting in April, since a City Council and mayoral election are slated for May in Long Branch.

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com.