Toms River Receives $1M in N.J. Boardwalk Funding: What’s the Plan at the Surf Club?

Toms River was one of several municipalities this week to be awarded grant funding for boardwalk construction and maintenance, and is seeking to use the money toward opening up public access at the former Joey Harrison’s Surf Club site, which was purchased by the state and the township for public use.

New Jersey dedicated $100 million in federal infrastructure dollars to a boardwalk replacement fund that will allow for the replacement and maintenance of boardwalks and associated structures in coastal towns across the state. Toms River received $1,018,441 from the fund, one of just three Ocean County municipalities to receive any funding at all from the grant. The bulk – nearly half – of the total funding will go toward work in Asbury Park and Atlantic City.

The former Joey Harrison’s Surf Club parking area and beachfront parcel, Ortley Beach, Toms River, N.J. (Photo: Shorebeat)

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The former Joey Harrison’s Surf Club property, still undeveloped in July 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

Mayor Dan Rodrick said his priority, assuming the state grants permission, is to use the funds to extend a boardwalk into the area where the Surf Club once stood, or at the very least, begin the process of improving the area and opening it up to public access.

“We would like to use that to build a boardwalk to continue from one end to the other,” said Rodrick. “The other option, if we don’t have enough money, would be to do another walkover in the mean time.”

The area where the former nightclub – destroyed in Superstorm Sandy – once stood has declined in aesthetic appeal since the township agreed to maintain it after it was purchased for public use under the state’s Blue Acres program, alongside a contribution from Toms River in a complex land swap with Ocean County on the mainland.

“We have to see what the rules are, but the first thing we have to do is get rid of those ugly fences – it’s a disaster,” Rodrick said. “I’d like to do that and a walkover, possibly as part of a boardwalk, but that should probably be done first, getting access there.”

At the very least, Rodrick said he would like to install Mobi-Mats in the area and create a path to the beach so visitors know the area is open to the public in the first place. Ultimately, if the state permits it, the township may seek funding to build restrooms or showers like those to the north and south.

“Potentially more bathrooms would be nice, because it’s a bit of a distance between there and Fielder where there is a walkover with bathrooms,” he said. “What would be nice is to make something like we have at Fielder, and make them all connect.”

The problem, dating back to similar plans proposed by the administration of former mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill, is a lack of state permitting. Since the land was purchased using Blue Acres funding rather than Green Acres funding, the rules of what can be placed on the site may differ. Under the most strict definition of the law, Blue Acres funding is intended to bring oft-flooded properties under state ownership so no structures can be built there and repeatedly utilize flood insurance proceeds. Officials have argued the Surf Club site, however, is unique since it is an oceanfront parcel that would expand beach access to the public rather than be developed with private homes or commercial establishments.

“What we really need is the status of where we’re at with the state, since it’s been a long time,” said Rodrick. “We will do that for sure.”

The Joey Harrison’s Surf Club property, Jan. 2021. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The former Joey Harrison’s Surf Club parking area and beachfront parcel, Ortley Beach, Toms River, N.J. (Photo: Shorebeat)

The short-term priority, he said, is improving the appearance of the area.

“I don’t know why it’s taken so long, but I’m disgusted with those fences and I’d like to get them down,” he said. “If it’s allowed, I’d like to get that down and at least put mats over the dune so the people can at least start utilizing that part of the beach, since there is nobody there now.”

The Surf Club site has been one of the locations in town most heavily affected by beach erosion in recent years. A federal beach replenishment project is slated to extend the beach berm and re-engineer the dune in the area, however the project has been delayed due to budget overages and challenges from bidders.