Work Starting On Renovation Of Sandy-Battered Butler Beach, Mayor Says

There wasn't much left of Butler Beach after Superstorm Sandy slammed into Bayville on Oct. 29, 2012.

The playground, beach and existing groin were destroyed by the historic storm. Nearly five years later, township officials are now able to fund major improvements to the beach, Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said.

The state Department of Environmental Protection has approved Berkeley's permit for an engineered beach that will add another 740 cubic yards of sand to the existing beach.

"This will return the beach to its pre-Sandy conditions," Amato said.

Plans also call for the addition of a 195-linear foot, four-foot wide crabbing dock, that will run along the groin, which is also slated to be replaced, the mayor said.

The township hopes to recoup nearly all of the cost of the $331,380 project cost with a 90 percent FEMA reimbursement of $298,242. The balance hopefully will come from a 10 percent reimbursement of $33,138 from the state Department of Community Affairs, he said.

If DCA funding is not available, the township's share of the project will be $33,138.

"In the end we will have a completely new park - with crabbing pier; engineered beach and donated playground with a value of $400,000 for under $34,000," Amato said.

Butler Beach got some help back in 2015, when the nonprofit Alexandra's Playground came to Bayville and installed new playground equipment, free of charge. The donation for the equipment and the work saved the township $70,000, the mayor said.

"Alexandra’s Playground was looking to build a playground in a Sandy impacted community," Amato said. "Glen Cove's Butler Park was the perfect location. Glen Cove was devastated by Sandy."

An engineered beach has specific project guidelines and a longer life expectancy than standard beach replenishment projects. The work should take several weeks, the mayor said.

The Township Council awarded a contract for the project to T.R. Weniger, Inc. at the March 22 Township Council meeting.

Image: Patricia A. Miller

Video: Berkeley Township