The house at 38 West River Road, visible from the Victory Park gazebo, has been acquired by Rumson for a park expansion.
Monmouth County has awarded Rumson $250,000 toward its $875,000 purchase of land adjoining Victory Park for a westward expansion of the riverfront facility.
The funding will help advance a burgeoning crew program at the site, Mayor John Ekdahl tells redbankgreen. A rowing club was established at the site last year and this year will host a team from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High, he says.
“I know some of the dreamers would hope to build a Schuykill River-style boathouse” on the property, which now features a boarded-up house, Ekdahl says. “I don’t see borough funds going for that,” he adds, but with a private fundraising effort, “it’s not out of the question.”
The house will remain until borough officials decide whether to tear it down.
The $250,000 is the maximum amount available to any town under the county’s municipal Open Space funding program, which annually distributes $2 million for acquisition and development of recreational space.
The borough completed the purchase of the half-acre parcel from West River Road Equities in October. Another $437,500 toward the cost is being sought from the state Green Acres fund. Ekdahl says that funding looks promising because Rumson’s plan advances two Green Acres objectives: expanding existing parkland and preserving waterfront land from commercial development.
The purchase covered about half the property West River Road Equities bought in 2004 for $1.4 million, outbidding Rumson. An easement will provide access to the waterfront, while the portion fronting on the street, which is zoned for commerce, may be developed, Ekdahl says.
According to borough officials, the house will be shored up until a determination is made about whether to keep or raze it. Should the building be torn down, state Coastal Area Facility Review Act regulations would likely prohibit its being replaced, even by a storage shed. But a refurbishment might pass muster with the state, Ekdahl says.
“We view the footprint of that house as probably the most important attribute of the site,” he says.
Here’s a lookup for Green Acres properties on a town-by-town basis.
Here’s a FAQ on the county’s criteria for funding Open Space projects: Download municipal_grant_faq_2008.pdf
And here are the minutes of a Rumson council meeting in September at which the project was discussed: Download CouncilSep0908Minutes.pdf
1) "I know some of the dreamers would hope to build a Schuykill River-style boathouse"
2) "I don't see borough funds going for that," he adds, but with a private fundraising effort, "it's not out of the question."
1) I'm guessing these "dreamers" are a few richies the Mayor shared a few cocktails with at Murrays & McGregors. Nobody else cares to know what a Schuykill River-style boathouse is.
2) Nice way to slip that comment in to the interview. Most Rumson residents would freak if you decided to use borough money to build a boathouse. I'm sure there would be a membership fee to use this boathouse to keep the poor out. BUT…hint, hint…if a richie throws a private fundraiser charging an astronomical price per plate then we would be able to build a boathouse for us grown men to play in. Yippie!!
This is wonderful news. The sport of rowing is excellent exercise. Good luck to the Rumson - Fair Haven HS team!
Not sure why wake up is so cranky. I'm happy that the township received the grant money and the more access to the river will be available, not less. The crew kids have done a great job so far. Crew has generated tremendous interest, and we have kids in the programs now crewing in college, some of them on scholarships. Not everyone is a "richie", so this does present some new opportunities.
It would be a shame not to utilize the river for all types ofrecreation programs for our young people.
What percentage of Rumson residents use the crew dock? If local youth are using it that is great, but what kind of fees are involved?
Can a youth whose parents have been decimated by the recent economy trend be part of it?
What percentage of the town will be using this area they are acquiring? Is it to be an extension of Victory Park with the boathouse open to the public, or a "private" boathouse?
Lets hear where money is being spent please.
Nattering Nabobs: I'm very pleased that the land was purchased by the borough for park expansion and to prevent our shores from being over-developed. I'm also very pleased that the R-FH crew is and will continue utilizing the property and its access to the river. I also know some members of the crew and enjoy the view of them rowing through the river early in the morning. What I don't like is when the Mayor, not so discreetly, asks these "dreamers" to finance the renovation of the current structure or the construction of a new Schuykill-River style boathouse by fundraising. What he's really asking is for a number of wealthy residents to step up and cover the costs. How many other towns do that? It's seems to happen too much here. What if this town didn't have those wealthy residents? What would the town do about the current building? It's not in horrible shape as it is if its only true purpose is to house rowing equipment for the R-FH crew. I think the Borough wants it renovated to be used as a boathouse for every Tom, Dick & Harry who owns a kayak and wants to pay a fee to launch/store their equipment.
they don't want to use a boathouse to charge fees to others.
The Crew program is the most exclusive program in Rumson. A boathouse would be used for about 30 high school kids each crew season. worst money ever spent in Rumson was the money donated to crew
Way to go Rumson! With the sport of rowing growing faster than any other sport in America great idea! "You build it and they will come" What a great place for a boat house a fantastic sport for the youth and a great program for people of all ages. Fantastic News! Enjoy it and Best of luck to everyone involved. For all those in doubt go for a row it's like "Green Eggs and Ham" once you try it you're hooked!
Don't forget to check out the rowing club and kayak launch in Red Bank at the foot of Maple Ave.
Too bad Fair Haven doesn't have anything like this! Fair Haven only has the dock with no water access and that's not a place where kids can play.
Kids can't play here either. No trespassing signs are posted and no one but crew members are allowed on the dock. I think recreation (and the crew sport) are great, but the fact is $875,000 in public funds just went to support an exclusive group. Little Jimmy and his fishing pole are'nt part of the program.
Public funds = public access
I do not think that the public can be excluded. Can we hear from someone who knows?
In all fairness, I think the no trespassing signs are posted on the dangerously unsafe house on the lot, but I may be wrong.
I still think a fishing pier off the end of Lafayette Street like the old days would have been much better money spent. Docks in town are private for the most part, it would give the kids and residents a nice place to fish and crab, or just relax on a bench.
There is now real access to the Crew dock except via a privately owned lot which only crew members are authorized to use, there is now access from the park unless you go through the bushes. No trespassing signs are posted. Borough vehicles are often used to tow the crew boat trailers. I guess this is considered a recreation program? The house remains up until it is replaced by the donated Boat House?