Berkeley's Butler Beach Rises Again, Almost Five Years After Superstorm Sandy

BAYVILLE, NJ - It's been nearly five long years since Butler Beach in Bayville was decimated by Superstorm Sandy.

But that's changed, thanks to the construction of an engineered beach, which adds another 740 cubic yards of sand to the beach at the end of Butler Boulevard.

"The beach will also have a longer life expectancy than standard beach replenishment projects," Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said.

Residents can also enjoy the new 195-linear foot, 4-foot wide crabbing and fishing dock.

The new beach will be dedicated at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the beach, which is located on the bay at the end of Butler Boulevard.

The beach was a gift to the township from former Mayor Marcus C. Butler and his wife Grace Rogers Butler. Marcus Butler was the mayor of Berkeley for 20 years. He served from 1938 to 1958. Marcus Butler's family dates back to the "Fortune," the ship that came after the Mayflower. Grace's family dates back to the first settlers in Ocean County, Amato said.

Members of the Butler family will be on hand for the dedication ceremony.

The area was never officially named Butler Beach, but was always referred to as Butler Beach because it was at the end of Butler Boulevard. The Township Council passed a resolution at the June 26,2017 meeting officially named the area “Butler Beach,” Amato said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will also include a re-dedication of Alexandra’s Playground.

“In 2015, after Superstorm Sandy tore through our beaches, we had over 100 volunteers team up with the non-profit group Alexandra’s Playground, run by the Vitale family and named after their daughter Alexandria, who tragically passed away.

The group came to Berkeley Township and installed new playground equipment, free of charge,” Amato said. The donated equipment and volunteers saved Berkeley Township $70,000 in expenses.

Berkeley Township also expects to be reimbursed for 90 percent of the $331,380 beach renovation costs. Amato is also hoping the remaining portion will be reimbursed by the state Department of Community Affairs. If not, the township's portion of the project will be $33,138.

For more information, contact the Berkeley Township Recreation Department at 732-269-4456 or www.BTRec.org or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Berkeley-Township.

Photos: Courtesy of Berkeley Township