STAFFORD – A local park will be getting so much-needed upgrades this fall, courtesy of the Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation.
A. Paul King County Park, located on West Bay Avenue in Manahawkin, sits along the waterfront at Manahawkin Lake Park. Come fall, this county park will see various improvements including new restrooms, a new picnic pavilion that can accommodate up to 100 people, a new grill, new sidewalks and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades including parking spaces and bathroom entrance ramps.
“This is a great little park in the southern part of Ocean County that offers a swimming beach in the warm weather,” said Ocean County Freeholder Director Virginia E. Haines, Chairwoman of the Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation. “The improvements we are making to this site will make it more accessible for everyone using it and will modernize some of the facilities that are located there.”
County officials are looking to improve the state of the park while fostering a better recreational experience for the public. While the swimming beach was open to the public during summer months, the picnic area and bathroom facilities had been closed while renovations were under way.
“This is the kind of park that can be enjoyed by visitors of all ages and now the new picnic pavilion adds an opportunity for hosting family gatherings or simply an area to read a book out of the sun,” Haines said. “I think the public will be pleased with the improvements we are making.”
Residents and park-goers throughout the county can expect the work to be completed sometime this fall.
Ocean County is using contractor Axios Inc., Northfield, building manufacturer CXT Precast Products from Hillsboro, Texas, and desgine engineer Maser Consulting, Red Bank.
Haines added that the new bathroom facilities are precast and were delivered similarly to modular home sections, “which moves the project along quicker and we are not fighting the weather or the elements since the amount of time is shortened,” Haines said.
