BERKELEY – The township is looking to put the “park” in “Holly Park.”
The location is at the end of Main Street. There used to be a small clubhouse on the property, but that was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. The roof of the clubhouse was found in the marsh a mile or so away.
Big towns like Berkeley have a lot of different neighborhoods, and sometimes only residents of those neighborhoods know where they begin and end. Holly Park is a small group of roads near where Bay Boulevard and Bayview Avenue intersect.
The township owns the property, Business Administrator John Camera said. They have submitted plans to the State Department of Environmental Protection and there have been several conferences with them about what is allowed there.
There has been talk of a kayak launch and a playground.
The DEP has an interest in maintaining as much of the natural properties as possible. The township wants to make use of their land. One point of debate is where the land ends and the bay begins. The old Holly Park bulkhead has been overrun with water. A new tidal mark is reaching onto land. Native sea grass is sprouting up among the ruins of the old building. The flag pole still stands, though.
One thing everyone can agree on: it’s a gorgeous location. It overlooks the bay, and you can see Seaside Park in the distance. There are osprey nests nearby and long stretches of dune grass. Amazingly, deer tracks can be seen in the sand.
Adjacent to the lot, the township has built a sturdy bulkhead. It could be a preview of what’s to come.
Local resident Richard Ryan said he’s worried that the funding the township received to work on it might expire or that the DEP might shut down anything good that might come if a compromise can’t be reached.
“Year after year, no one is getting any benefit from it,” he said.
The value of a piece of land like this is immense, he said. It would cost millions if you had to buy it. But here it is, full of potential; the powers that be just have to come to an agreement on it.
The township has done a good job of cleaning up the property, and maintaining it, he said, even emptying a garbage can they put there.
He and his neighbors don’t want anything as intensive as a boat ramp, since that would bring bigger vehicles and trailers down the dead end street. But, a passive park where people can enjoy nature would be perfect.
He is encouraging residents to come out to the next Township Council meeting to show their support for the park. The next meeting is at 6 p.m. on April 26 at the municipal building on Pinewald-Keswick Road.
Mayor Carmen Amato said the town was successful in getting a grant for developing the property a few years ago. It has been called a “Main Street Boat Ramp Park” on Township Council agendas, although the plan is for passive recreation, like a tot lot and a kayak launch rather than a launch for boats. The town has been going back and forth with the DEP to see what can be done there.
Last year, the property was added to the township’s open space inventory, he said.
The township has received advice from the volunteer Waterways Committee on what should go there, he said.
