The Purchase of the Surf Club in Toms River is Nearing Completion
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December 29, 2021
School of Rock in Ocean County, NJ
December 29, 2021The Purchase of the Surf Club in Toms River is Nearing Completion
More Beach Access
The township will add about 2 acres of open space on the ocean that will give residents and visitors more beach access.
On Thursday, Toms River officials and state officials will complete the purchase of the former Joey Harrison's Surf Club site in Ortley Beach, capping a multiyear endeavor.
State officials and the town of Toms River will finish the acquisition of the land, which covers roughly 2 acres in the neighborhood of 6th Avenue and has been in the works for years, according to Toms River Mayor Maurice "Mo" Hill. Hill hailed Councilwoman Maria Maruca for her lobbying for the purchase, calling it her "crowning achievement," in announcing the closing date.
Maruca's 18 years on the council, the majority of which she spent serving Ward 1 and Ortley Beach, will come to an end on Friday. "At first, you were the only voice," Hill said, recalling Maruca's tenacious advocacy for the purchase, which was initially estimated to cost Toms River $6 million.
Hill, who was a councilman with Maruca until he was elected mayor at the end of 2017, stated, "That was a lot of money for us to bite off." "It became more practical when the state got on board with the Blue Acres money." The exact purchase price has not been disclosed, although it is expected to be in the $7.3 million area. Land purchases for open space preservation are valued at the value of the property before the hurricane occurred on Oct. 29, 2012, under the state-run Blue Acres program (which is comparable to the Green Acres program).The state is contributing $6 million to the Blue Acres program. Toms River will spend $685,000 to purchase and protect the land from residential development, with much of the money coming from the township's part of a property sale to Ocean County last week. The county bought an 82-acre site near Ocean County College and an 86-acre tract near Cattus Island County Park to expand Cattus Island County Park. The county paid more than $1 million for the plots, and Toms River is using the money to buy them and build a promenade along the waterfront.
Hill complimented Maruca's activism as well as the Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association's efforts.
"Without Maria Maruca's perseverance, the OBVTA citizens' persistence, and the assistance of the Ocean County Commissioners, the beach club would have most likely been turned into mansions or condos," Hill remarked after the land agreement with the county was completed.
Maruca's lobbying for Ortley and the rest of Ward 1 has also been praised by Paul Jeffrey, vice president of the OBVTA, who noted that the purchase of the Surf Club is a significant gesture. "This is the largest parcel of oceanfront property going into public use in New Jersey in a very long time," Jeffrey said, adding that Maruca and fellow council members Laurie Huryk and Terrance Turnbach "have left remarkable changes on this town that will be felt for years to come." "The surf club is such a huge thing for Ortley and our shore community," Dana Tormollan, a local, stated to Maruca. "It will be your legacy," says Ms. Tormollan.
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