The municipal boat ramp at Battin Road. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Upgrades to Fair Haven’s public boat launch and two pocket parks overlooking the Navesink River may be set in motion by the borough council Monday night.
The overlook at Grange Avenue is one of two passive parks slated for improvements. Below, each of the three plans, as presented via Zoom by Rich Gardella. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
On deck are the passive parks at the northern ends of Grange Avenue and Hance Road, plus the boat launch at Battin Road.
Over several years, Engineer Rich Gardella has worked with a council subcommittee and Maser Consulting to come up with construction-ready designs, Gardella told the council April 12.
Now, Gardella is asking for a green light to put the work up for bid.
The plans call for:
• Improvements to the Battin Road small boat, canoe, kayak and paddleboard launch.
The project would see the installation of a floating dock alongside an existing wooden pier, and a short gangway that meets Americans with Disabilities Act standards to access it, said Gardella.
The design calls for “more of a user-friendly concept” setup, Gardella said. At present, “it’s very difficult to launch and tie up a boat, go park your vehicle and come back.”
The proposed dock can be hauled in from the water for storage annually, he said.
• At Grange Avenue, where the existing bulkhead has “completely failed,” a new one would be built, according to Gardella.
The project also call for a safe new walkway and steps to a promenade and benches.
• At the end of Hance, where there’s a beach rather than a bulkhead, “this is more of a shoreline protection-type project,” Gardella said.
As now, he said, “someone can easily come down and launch a kayak or go fishing on the beach, but it’s creating a safer way down to the beach area.”
There’s no parking in the immediate area, however, and that won’t change, Gardella said.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection permits for all three projects have been obtained, he said.
Maser has estimated the total cost for the three projects at $806,000, said borough Administrator Theresa Casagrande. The borough has a $250,000 grant from the Monmouth County Open Space program toward the cost of the Grange Avenue piece, with bond financing for the balance passed in 2018.
Here’s the full agenda.
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