BERKELEY – It’s unusual for a town to acquire a new beach, but that’s what happened when a developer purchased a private beach and gave it to Berkeley Township.
Arya Properties purchased the Island Beach Motor Lodge. It’s a long building stretching from Route 35 to the ocean in the South Seaside Park section of Berkeley. It’s just north of Island Beach State Park.
The lodge and the restaurant will be demolished and replaced with the Island Beach Estates – 16 single-family houses.
Two of the homes will be ocean front and have a shared driveway to 24th Avenue. Both of these houses will have five parking spaces just for themselves, using a garage and driveway.
Ten houses will have driveways on 24th Avenue and the remaining four houses will have driveways on 23rd Avenue.
On street parking would be increased from 19 spaces to 21. Some will be individual and some will be three in a row, in between driveways.
The dune walkover to the beach will continue to exist.
Currently, the property is completely impervious, meaning that there’s no way for rainwater to get through the asphalt and lodge and filter into the ground. This is something the State Department of Environmental Protection looks at. After the houses are built, about half of the ground would be opened up. However, there’s a note in the paperwork that states if the homeowners build patios, this would change somewhat. Stones will be used in the yards, and the developer will plant vegetation.
The applicant predicts that demolition will begin in February. There won’t be any demolition between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Construction will take about 18 months. At the end of the project, the developer will repave the portion of 24th Avenue that it will be using. They will also be installing street lighting where needed.
The township’s land use board allowed some waivers, such as allowing the homes on slightly smaller lots than required.
The restaurant on site will close just after New Year’s, Arya Marketing Director Ian Singer said. The owner was already planning on moving to a new location.
A small ceremony was held with the developer giving the beach to the township.
Mayor John Bacchione thanked Arya for their donation. He also thanked the township staff and volunteers who work to protect and enhance the beaches.
“This donation is not just a gift for today, it is a gift to future generations,” he said. “Our beaches are more than just stretches of sand and surf, they are gathering places, ecosystems, and part of Berkeley Township’s identity.”
“This is a shining example of what can happen when community spirit meets civic vision. It’s about preserving natural beauty, supporting local recreation, and strengthening our connection to the environment. By working together – government, businesses and residents – we are showing that caring for our coastlines is a shared responsibility,” he said.
“From the start, it was important to us that a part of this beautiful shoreline be shared with the public – a way to give something back to a town that truly values its natural beauty and community spirit,” said Lauren Plump, a partner at Arya Properties.
She said that each home “will have rooftop decks and outstanding views.”
Frank Sadeghi, owner of Arya Properties and an Ocean County Commissioner, told The Berkeley Times “We have a very good partnership with Berkeley Township.”
While the lodge holds some nostalgia for people who stayed there, the lodge industry isn’t what it once was, he said. Instead of a motel, there will now be 16 families who take pride in their home and want to be part of the community.
