Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

RED BANK: SENIOR CENTER FIX-UP ADVANCES

red-bank-senior-center-031221-3-500x332-2608816The backyard of the mothballed Senior Center overlooking the upper Navesink River. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot-topic_03-220x138-220x138-7378486A proposal to repair Red Bank’s mothballed Senior Center without adding any new facilities won a Redevelopment Agency endorsement Tuesday evening.

The action could defuse one of the hottest issues in a contested Democratic race for two council seats just six weeks before a primary vote.

Based on the recommendation of a three-member subcommittee, the Redevelopment Agency voted unanimously to “proceed with the renovation of and modification [to] the Senior Center at its existing site, with substantially the same configuration” as at present, said subcommittee member Wilson Beebe.

The center, on Shrewsbury Avenue overlooking the Navesink River, has been out of commission since it was damaged by a fire suppression system leak in early 2019.

The endorsed plan, which also includes upgrades to the air conditioning system and other utilities, was chosen over other options under consideration, including a $9.8 million plan to rebuild the center as a two-story structure above an expanded parking lot to incorporate a recreation center for use by borough residents of all ages.

Beebe said the recommended plan was estimated to cost $1.6 million, and would add about $75,000 a year in annual debt service when completed.

The recommendation is expected to be taken up by the council, whose members, while all Democrats, had split sharply in recent months over how to immediately address the fate of the Senior Center, among other issues.

Four council members, including two who are up for re-election, advocated letting the Redevelopment Agency proceed with its review of borough facilities before committing to any action on the center.

Two others, including party Chairman Ed Zipprich, pushed a “fix it now” solution that was the subject of several public rallies.

The issue became a recurring flash point that led to the first contested council primary race in recent memory. On the June 8 Democratic ballot are incumbents Kate Triggiano and Hazim Yassin, both seeking second terms; and political newcomers Bruce Maida and Jacqueline Sturdivant, backed by Zipprich and the local Democratic organization.

Triggiano, a member of the Redevelopment Agency, said she was “happy to hear that we’re going forward” with the repair plan after Beebe spoke.

“I like that it includes the needs analysis” conducted by the agency, she said. “I think it’s always great to do your due diligence.”

No other committee members spoke in detail about the proposal, and no one from the public offered any comment on the center plan or any other agency matter.

In light of its recommendation regarding the center, the subcommittee also recommended, and the full committee agreed, to table any discussion of a new recreation facility at Count Basie Fields.

Among the options under review was one that would incorporate a new facility for seniors into a building with two indoor basketball courts at that location, between Drs. James Parker Boulevard and Henry Street.

“We’re doing that because, once you separate the Senior Center out from the Count Basie Park proposal, what’s left, the residual recreation proposal, appears to have limited utility for the estimated cost,” Beebe told the agency.

According to an estimate provided to the committee by an architect and discussed at the agency’s March meeting, that plan could cost about $8.7 million, while removing the Senior Center from it would reduce the cost to about $5 million.

“And while we didn’t take formal public testimony on the matter, we didn’t hear a lot of enthusiasm for enclosing the two outdoor basketball courts at the park suggesting that any future consideration would probably need to re-examine the purpose of such a facility, and maybe the location,” Beebe said.

In addition, he said, the group also agreed that focusing on plans for the borough’s severely dilapidated public works yard on Chestnut Street was “more imperative.”

Following the 19-minute meeting, the agency went into a closed-door executive session to discuss, among other matters, finding a new, part-time executive director.

The current holder of the position is Ziad Shehady, who announced his resignation from the agency in February and his resignation as borough business administrator earlier this month. His last day on the borough payroll is May 6.

If you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen, please become a paying member. Click here for details about our new, free newsletter and membership information.

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
RIVERSIDE FLOW
New Jersey Flow Arts brings together jugglers, poi spinners, hoopers and more weekly in Riverside Gardens Park.
Honeybee swarm carted away
Beekeeper Tanya Ptak of Ptak’s Apiary inspects a swarm of honeybees that chose a flower pot in the courtyard of Red Bank Primary Schoo ...
BELOVED POISONED DOG PHOTO SURFACES
   
THREE ON TOUR
RED BANK: Three borough sites will participate in a weekend of self-guided tours of 52 historic locations in Monmouth County May 4 & 5.
VOLUNTEERS GET INTO THE WEEDS
Toting plastic trash bags, 51 volunteers conducted a walking litter cleanup on Red Bank's West Side Saturday.
“IT’S A PARTY AT WAWA!”
You wish you could vibe like Brian, who lives on the other side of Hubbard’s Bridge. He caught redbankgreen’s attention in Red B ...
POPE OKS ORATORY
RED BANK: St. Anthony of Padua obtains papal approval to establish Oratory of St. Philip Neri, a community of priests and brothers devoted t ...
RED BANK: NEW MURAL BRIGHTENS CORNER
RED BANK: Lunch Break founder Norma Todd is depicted in a mural painted this week on the front of the newly renovated social service agency.
TULIPS TOGETHER
Spring tulips taking in the sunset outside the Molly Pitcher Inn in Red Bank Monday evening.
RIVER RANGERS RETURN
River Rangers, a summer canoeing program offered by the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association, returns this summer for up to 20 participa ...
DOUBLE DYLAN IN RED BANK
Trucks for a production company filming what one worker said was a Bob Dylan biography have lined Monmouth Street the past two days with cre ...
AFTER THE RAIN
A pear tree branch brought down by a brief overnight storm left a lovely tableau on the sidewalk in front of Red Bank's Riverside Gardens Pa ...
CONE OF UNCERTAINTY
Asked by a redbankgreen reporter why these cones were on top of cars, the owner of the car in the foreground responded: “That’s ...
RAIL RIDER’S VIEW
A commuter's view of Cooper's Bridge and the Navesink River from North Jersey Coast Line train 3320 out of Red Bank Tuesday morning.
PUT ME IN COACH!
Red Bank T-Ball kicked off at East Side park on Saturday morning. The brisk weather proved to be no deterrent to the young players, ranging ...
IT’S A SIGN!
Once proudly declaring its all-but-certain arrival in Spring 2019, the project previously known as Azalea Gardens springs to life again with ...
SPRINGTIME MEMORIES OF CARL
The Easter Bunny getup and St. Patrick’s Day hat that belonged to longtime Red Bank crossing guard and neighborhood smile-creator Carl ...
RED TRUCKS AT RED ROCK
A small dishwasher fire at Red Rock Tap and Grill was put out quickly by firefighters overnight, causing minimal damage. Red Bank Fire Depar ...
CREATIVE COVER UP
The windows of Pearl Street Consignment on Monmouth Street were smashed when a driver crashed their car through them injuring an employee la ...
THEY’RE BACK!
Ospreys returned to the skies over Red Bank this week for the first time since they migrated to warmer climes in late fall. With temperature ...