The Coaster

By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI

Original plans for the demolition and rebuilding of Francis Asbury Manor in Ocean Grove have been abandoned and new designs are being drawn.

Harry Schneider, Vice President of Projects for the United Methodist Homes, owners of the FAM said the original plans would have required three separate demolitions.

Plans for the new design, which are still in preliminary stages, will have construction going up around the perimeter of the existing site and demolition of the current building when the new building is complete.

This way we only do the demolition once, Schneider said.

The demolition site will then become a parking lot and courtyard with gardens.

Schneider said the new building will start with two stories and graduate up to six stories, which will face Fletcher Lake and the Ocean.

This way nobodys views will be obstructed, Schneider said. We listened quite a bit to the neighbors.

Fred Kaplan of Stockton Avenue, lead a petition drive to get the governor to appoint a liason to work with the community and UMH when the original plans were revealed.

After being contacted this week and informed of a new plan Kaplan said he was pleased the original plan is being scrapped. He had called the original plan outlandish.

The first plan was inappropriate for the design of the town, he said. The fact that it is being redesigned is a major accomplishment.

Operations at the Francis Asbury Manor will continue during construction, Schneider said.

The new building will hold 134 apartments, some for couples, in the assisted living facility.

Schneider said the groundbreaking is set to occur in 2010.

Schneider said UMH has yet to present the plans to the Neptune Planning Board.

The group must also go to the state for CAFRA approvals and the Ocean Grove Historical Society.

Schneider said he expects town and state approvals to take about 12 months.
Read more about your town by picking up The Coaster at your local newsstand or subscribe today.

Published every Thursday.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Ocean Grove. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.