Now that the recovery phase associated with Sandy has passed, Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty and the Borough Council are happy to report there were no fatalities or injuries in the borough as a result of the storm; all the water has been pumped back into the Atlantic Ocean; and all the debris and pieces of the destroyed boardwalk — and the four pavilions that sat on it — have been cleaned up.
The only building that still remains standing on the beach side of Ocean Avenue is the Belmar Fishing Club.
Doherty said the businesses that once stood on the boardwalk will be rebuilt on the same footprint as the old ones, and the focus has shifted to the rebuilding phase to enable residents and tourists to enjoy Belmar once again despite the devastation that superstorm Sandy brought upon the town on Oct. 29.
The borough is offering a way to help fund the rebuilding of the boardwalk — a “Buy a Board” campaign.
Doherty said, “It is my commitment to have the boardwalk built by Memorial Day 2013.” He said the cost is being split by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state and the municipality.
The “Buy a Board” campaign in Belmar will allow residents and visitors alike to donate money toward the actual boards that make up the boardwalk.
“This is a great opportunity for those who have come to love Belmar as a clean, beautiful, family beach to be a part of the boardwalk reconstruction process,” the mayor said.
A variety of options to buy boards are available.
$5,000 — Big Kahuna;
$2,500 — Surf Rider;
$1,000 — Sun Worshiper;
$500 — Boogie Boarder;
$250 — Board Runner;
$100 — Clam Digger; and
$25 — Beach Bum.
Contributors will be able to have their name and board level displayed on a beach entrance of their choice.
The reconstructed boardwalk is expected to have 2,800 pilings, 14,000 boards and 500,000 screws, according to the website www.belmar.com, which states, “Bit by bit, we will be rebuilding and be back by Memorial Day.”
Bids are currently being accepted for the beachfront replacement project, which is projected to cost just under $17 million for boardwalk construction, street-side access, beach access, railings, lighting assemblies and foundations, landscaping, and showers and service connections, according to an engineer’s estimate report from Birdsall Services Group, Eatontown.
“Belmar has had a boardwalk every summer since 1875,” said Doherty, “and with everyone’s help, this summer will be no different.”
In the aftermath of the Sandy, Belmar has received donations from people in many locations, including New Jersey, New York, Texas, California, Canada, Italy and Sweden. The largest donation as of last month was $10,000 from Miller Coors.
A new website, www.belmarboards.com, has been set up to allow those who want to take part in the “Buy a Board” campaign to make secure credit-card transactions.