No CAFRA Permit, No Skate Park In Point Pleasant Beach For Now

The price of applying for a CAFRA permit for a proposed skate park in Point Pleasant Beach may be too hefty for the borough to handle, a Borough Councilman said recently.

Councilman Thomas Toohey said at a recent meeting that he had researched the the cost of applying for a Coastal Area Facilities Act (CAFRA) would run between $45,000 to $65,000, according to the Ocean Star.

“I received some information on Friday that would make fundraising for a CAFRA permit in the area irresponsible,” Toohey said,

The permit is the main ingredient for building the skate park near Little Silver Lake.

“That being said, there are significant environmental concerns with the area ... the logical first step was an application to the Department of Environmental Protection [DEP], probably the most stringent regulatory body in this country, under CAFRA, which is one of the most stringent pieces of legislation ever passed in this country," Toohey said.

The pre-existing buffering, parking and the area's character of the area had to be taken into consideration as well, he said.

It would be possible to obtain the permit with some public funds or moving the location to Pleasure Park,butToohey said he had previously promised not to do either.

"I have committed since the very beginning that this project would not coset any taxpayer dollars and committed that since the ...Pleasure Park was off the table," he said.

The controversial plan has been discussed since January, but no consensus has been reached. Toohey has said the cost could reach between $400,000 to $500,000.

Supporters of the skatepark, including Mr. Toohey, have said they are looking at several possible funding streams.

Councilman Tom Migut said that he feared building the skatepark near the lake would raise flood insurance premiums for residents.

“Over the past two years the borough has worked on its floodplain management plan to obtain significant reduction in flood insurance for all residents through the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” he
“I am able to report that these reductions in premiums are now in jeopardy due to the proposed development of Little Silver Lake for a skateboard park.

Council meetings have been crowded with supporters of the skatepark proposal, mostly families and adolescents who spoke to the need for a recreational facility for skaters.

But not everyone is happy.

Chief of Police Kevin O’Hara has a number of concerns about a skatepark in the area of Little Silver Lake, from children skateboarding to the park being in a heavily trafficked area in the summer, to a possible strain on police resources to watch over the area.

Toohey also mentioned social media comments about the facility, including some directed at him.

“The anonymous threats and accusations need to stop. I know what I have said about this issue and I know the actions I have taken concerning this issue and I stand behind each and every one [of them],” he said.
“Instead of casting aspersions about my character publicly and my motivations, my cell phone is on the town website and everyone knows where I live. What disappoints me as an elected official is that we stoop to that level as a community. I thought we were better than that."

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