Funtown Pier, consumed by fire, Sept. 12, 2013. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
Seaside Park officials have approved a portion of a request by William Major, the owner of the former – and future – Funtown Pier to begin rebuilding the attraction that was decimated during Hurricane Sandy and completely destroyed in 2013 boardwalk fire.
Major’s plan for the site, located between Stockton and Porter avenues along the ocean, consists of an 88-by-100 foot concrete pier expansion, an elevated office building with a storage facility below, and a 200-foot tall “Sling Shot” ride on the portion of the pier that already exists at the site. His attorney, Stephen R. Leone, requested at a recent planning board meeting that the application be bifurcated, asking the board to consider the pier extension itself during one meeting, with the building and amusement ride to be held for a future hearing.
“The current DEP permits for the pier are set to expire soon, and therefore [Major] needs to obtain local site plan approval for the extension,” said Frank Little, the planner and engineer consulting on the project for Funtown.
The former Funtown Pier property in Seaside Park, June 2019. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
The former Funtown Pier property in Seaside Park, June 2019. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
The pier will be constructed in an area that has seen multiple uses over the past decade, starting with a gas-powered dune buggy course in 2015 that lasted a single season. Faced with a decision by the borough council in 2016 that limited ride heights to 100-feet, Major said it was doubtful that a business case existed to rebuild the pier in the absence of large thrill rides. Any reconstruction was shelved for several years as Major rebranded the area to “Funtown Beach,” a privately-operated ocean beach which was guarded during the summer season and open to a “BYOB” drink policy – which is strictly forbidden on municipally-owned beaches.
The pier idea was revived in 2022 and heard by the planning board earlier this month. The approval by the board, however, only includes the physical pier extension itself – not the rides. The board ordered Major to request a hearing date on the building and Sling Shot ride plan by Feb. 1, 2025, or else that portion of the application would be deemed denied. Though Major could re-file, the application would have to start from scratch, with a new round of public notices and a rehashing of testimony on the pier structure and other site features.
Funtown Pier would need to obtain a variance from the planning board in order to install the “Sling Shot” ride, since the 100-foot ride height limited remains in place in the borough code. That level had been increased from a previous 50-foot height limit.
A rendering of a proposed thrill ride park at a rebuilt Funtown Pier proposed in 2016, designed by architect Paul Barlo. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
In the mean time, regardless of what may or may not come before the board over the winter, Leone said the use of the site as a private beach club will continue next year. Local approval for that use would be required for it to remain in operation, as has been the case for several season. As for the pier itself, its use once built is, itself, in flux. While the board approved its construction, the resolution of approval adopted by the board holds that “no buildings, temporary or permanent structures, amusement rides or other uses” will be allowed on the pier unless approved at a future hearing.
New Pier Regulations
Before granting unanimous approval for the pier reconstruction project to get underway, the board adopted several conditions, including the mandatory continuation of a protective railing along the edge of the concrete structure. Additionally, it is expected that a group of cabanas utilized by customers of Funtown Beach will be displaced by the expansion; these may be relocated elsewhere on the site. Four out of five cabanas will be affected by the construction of the new pier.
Pilings for the Funtown Pier extension are prepared, Nov. 2024. (Photo Credit: John Melfa/Seaside Heights Boardwalk/Facebook)
Pilings for the Funtown Pier extension are prepared, Nov. 2024. (Photo Credit: John Melfa/Seaside Heights Boardwalk/Facebook)
Major will also be required to submit a dune planting plan to the borough, as well as a new survey that will recognize the location of the pier on official maps. A concrete boardwalk is planned that will connect the pier to Ocean Avenue, which must be accessible under the Americans With Disabilities Act, the board ruled. The concrete boardwalk must be constructed with a pitch to the east – a recommendation of the planning board’s engineer – and Funtown Pier management will be responsible for maintaining the integrity of the sand underneath in the face of any potential runoff.
Site preparation for the pier expansion has already begun, with construction planned to be completed over the winter.
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