Point Beach moves toward $1M acquisition of former Coast Guard station

POINT PLEASANT BEACH — A $1,050,000 bond issue that would fund the borough’s purchase of the former Coast Guard Station at the Manasquan Inlet located on Inlet Drive in Point Beach was introduced in a unanimous vote by the borough council Tuesday night.

Ordinance 2023-05, which had its first reading at the meeting, would appropriate $1,070,000 for the purchase, funded in part by $1,016,500 in bonds. The second reading and public hearing on the measure is scheduled for June 20.

The council’s consent agenda also included its approval of the acquisition from the federal government, subject to attorney review.

Mayor Paul Kanitra described the planned purchase as a “seismic win” because it would ensure that the former Coast Guard facility “doesn’t fall into someone else’s hands.”

The mayor said the station, which ceased operations in 2017, could become the location for “a historical museum.”

The project was also praised during the meeting by Kristin Hennessy, who said her father, former Point Beach mayor Daniel Hennessy, “had a vision” of the borough’s eventual purchase of the station.

“I commend the council and I think this is the most reasonable purchase we could make,” Ms. Hennessy said.

However, concerns about the planned acquisition were voiced during the meeting by Anne Lightburn, a member of the Open Space Committee, who referenced renovation costs beyond the initial $1.5 million investment.