MANASQUAN — Manasquan residents flocked to Borough Hall and Zoom to share their feedback on the new design of the Sea Watch building.
Joe Raftery, borough engineer and senior project manager at Colliers Engineering and Design, presented the “final design and concept,” and unveiled new renderings of the building.
The new site plan has 59 stalls in the parking lot, 6 of them being handicap stalls, a necessity due to Sea Watch being a handicap-accessible beach entrance. The plan also has dedicated bike parking. The parking lot features a two-feet entrance, exit and aisles in hopes to provide safer traffic flow, a concern residents have voiced.
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The ground floor features 105 lockers, storage for an upstairs concession stand and beach front, and an elevator to the first floor.
On the first floor, there is a kitchen and counter service area for a small food stand, a common area both inside and outside, a sundries store and restrooms.
The design has been changed drastically since the first public meeting in August 2020, with an entire story being removed. The new plan eliminates lifeguard usage as well as a large ramp, due to the implementation of an elevator.
Sea Watch was an oceanfront restaurant and outdoor deck located on the beachfront at Ocean Ave. The restaurant and outdoor eating area was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy in October of 2012. The Borough has received over $100k in funding from FEMA for rebuilding Sea Watch.
Next steps according to Mr. Raftery include finalizing construction documents, receiving bids for who will construct the project, and finally, construction.
To see more project visuals and updates, visit https://www.manasquan-nj.gov/project-updates/pages/sea-watch.
For more on this story, read the next edition of The Coast Star—on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.
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