Takanassee talks in the home stretch

Takanassee talks in the home stretch
Arson ruled out in boathouse bldg. fire
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH — Uncertainty about the future of one of Long Branch's historical landmarks may soon be resolved.

A member of the Long Branch Museum Historical Association confirmed last week that talks on the future of the Takanassee Beach Club buildings may be nearing a successful conclusion.

"We are hoping within the next week or two we could finalize the discussions," said Jim Foley, of the Long Branch Historical Museum Association. "The talks are still ongoing."

Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider agreed that the process is progressing forward.

"I'm decently optimistic," Schneider said. "We've met recently with the developer's attorneys at the site. We are making progress."

The Takanassee Beach Club site was originally U.S. Lifesaving Station No. 5.

Developer Isaac Chera, principal of Takanassee Developers, purchased the property for just under $18 million from members of the Peters family.

The developer was issued a Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) permit by the state Department of Environmental Protection to construct luxury condominiums on the oceanfront site.

The developer cannot proceed with the project until the conditions listed in the CAFRA permit are met, including preserving the three historic buildings on the site.

Plans call for one of the structures, the boathouse, to be preserved on-site and become part of the new development, and for the others to be relocated and restored off-site.

A county official has confirmed that the county will move the Captain's House to Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park in Long Branch, which is county owned.

The Port Huron building, a former residence, is the structure whose fate remains uncertain.

Foley said there still is some uncertainty with the talks and where the buildings are ultimately going to end up.

"The talks are with the Long Branch Historical Museum Association, aka The Church of the Presidents, and Larry Jacobs, who is the attorney for Mr. Chera," he said. "There are also independent discussions between Jacobs' office and the county of Monmouth,

which represents the Seven Presidents Park.

"There are discussions about moving both buildings to The Church of the Presidents," he added. "There are discussions about moving one of the stations to Seven Presidents Park."

Some of the proposals

put forth in recent months, particularly by Long Branch Councilman Brian Unger, have called for turning one of the buildings into a maritime museum.

Foley and Dr. Richard Fernicola, representing the LBMHA, and Michael Winnick, representing the city, spoke last week at a meeting at the University of Delaware about the preservation of the buildings.

The three delivered a presentation in front of the United States Lifesaving Heritage Association on Oct. 8.

"It was a very exciting presentation," Foley said.

The city also concluded last week that the fire at the boathouse last month was not caused by arson.

City officials were called to the scene a little after noon on Friday, Sept. 25, in response to a fire in the tower of the boathouse building, located on Ocean Avenue.

After seven local fire companies arrived on the scene, the fire was contained and an investigation into the cause ensued.

Long Branch Fire Marshal Kevin J. Hayes Sr. said in an interview last week that there were no signs of arson but there were signs that people had been in the building not too long before the fire broke out.

"There have been reports of signs of people there," he said. "There were signs of drinking and cigarette butts on-site.

"When we arrived, the building was open," he added.

After the investigation was conducted, Hayes said the official cause of the fire is undetermined.

"The official ruling is undetermined as opposed to arson," Hayes said.

Hayes said the fire started in the east wall of the second floor of the building.

City Administrator Howard H. Woolley Jr. said that if it were arson, there wouldn't be a building right now.

"I'm not a fire expert, but if you were starting a fire, it would be started in the base of the building, not the second floor," he said. "If someone wanted to start a fire there, then the building wouldn't be there."

Both Hayes and Woolley confirmed that the Monmouth County fire marshal sent an investigator, who concurred with the finding that the fire was not arson.

"The investigator assisted us and agrees with the findings," Hayes said.

"They were very confident in their findings," Woolley added.

Hayes also assessed the damage to the building.

"The tower suffered heavy fire damage," he said. "The rest of the building is still intact the way it was. The entrances are boarded up and secured."

Plans call for the boathouse to be preserved on-site and to be converted into a community center. Housing units and condominium developments are scheduled to be constructed on the remainder of the property.

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com.