By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
Officials from both Asbury Park and Neptune came together Friday to remember how Wesley Lake looked back in the day and to make plans for a brighter future for this body of water between Asbury Park and Ocean Grove.
Michael Brantley, deputy mayor of Neptune and chairman of the Wesley Lake Commission said at a press conference Friday that the commission will apply for a permit to dredge the lake.
This commission was charted to maintain, control and improve Wesley Lake, he said. This year we are going to do as much as we can.
The estimated cost of the project is $12 million. Brantley said the permit application will be signed at the commissions next meeting June 17. But the project will not begin, he said, until after the summer season even if the DEP approves the permit before then.
 Coaster Photo Neptune Deputy Mayor Michael Brantley talks about the restoration of Wesley Lake at a press conference held Friday. |
He said the sediment from the lake will be piled next to the lake to be de-watered before it is trucked to Neptunes landfill. The entire project should take about a month.
The dredging will make the the lake, which is now about one foot deep, between four to five feet deep in the dredged area.
Brantley said both Asbury Park and Neptune are supplying manpower and equipment for the project.
That is keeping the costs down, he said.
County Freeholder Barbara McMorrow attended the press conference and said the county is lending its dredging machine for the dredging project.
McMorrow grew up in Wanamassa and said she is anxious to see the lake restored to its former glory.
During the press conference eight students from the Summerfield School and their environmental science teacher Dan Beekman, ran tests of the water with the help of Engineer Peter Avakian, who is also a member of the commission.
Avakian explained that the lakes watershed covers 150 acres running past Neptune Boulevard.
When it rains there the water ends up in Wesley Lake, Avakian said. And when trash gets tossed out of a car there it ends up in Wesley Lake.
Avakian said the best way to prevent pollution in the lake is through education.
Avakian explained that unless the sediment, which is very high is removed, aquatic life can not live because it causes the water temperature to rise making it too warm to sustain aquatic life.
Brantley said when the lake was lowered several months ago for the installation of the bulkhead, workers could see the sediment.
We are going to clean that out, he said.
A new 2000 feet steel bulkhead was installed in recent months along the north east section of the lake.
Avakian said the new bulkhead is a step in the right direction but material continues to enter the lake through collapsed sections of the retaining walls, storm drainage systems, and cracks and holes in the bulkheading around the perimeter.
Avakian and his company Leon Avakian, designed the lake restoration plan.
As he introduced Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, Brantley said, Give her a big applause because they (state legislators) have input on how this lake can be done.
 Coaster Photo: Elementary school students test the water from the Ocean Grove side of Wesley Lake Friday. |
Theres a set up if I ever heard one, Angelini said.
She said it was wonderful that the communities were working together.
You have the full support of the 11th District, she said.
Angelini said it was a wonderful opportunity to bring the lake back to the days of old.
Brantley also remembered riding the swan and paddle boats and walking past the lake to the beach every day with his brother.
We would feed the goldfish and sometimes try to catch them, he said.
Brantley, who said its a good thing his mother is not around to hear this, said, When the lake froze we walked onto the lake to write our names under the bridge.
But he admitted, The lake has seen some bad times we want to bring it back to the times of the past.
Neptune Mayor Randy Bishop said he has personal reasons as well for wanting to see the lake cleaned up.
I live at the edge of this lake, he said. Both communities are to blame, and they certainly had other priorities, but also missed the opportunity. But I am proud to say the time is now and we are the people who will fix this.
Bishop went on to say that without intervention, the lake, which should be a treasure, will no longer exist.
Im confident when we meet again, even a year from now, it will be a much better place.
Councilman James Keady, of Asbury Park, vice chair of the lake commission, displayed a poster with 38 different types of trees set to be planted in the north east section of the lake.
He said the plan is a joint effort by beachfront developers Madison Marquette, Asbury Partners and the Shade Tree Commission.
It will be much more spectacular…it will beautify this lake, he said.
Keady said the 38 trees will be marked with plaques describing what state they come from including facts about how and grows.
They will be marked and will educate, he said.
At the end of the press conference Avakian reported on the students water test, which he said showed oxygen levels in the water could sustain aquatic life, if water temperatures were not too high.
Turbidity tests showed the lake water is not stagnant which Avakian called a fairly positive result.
Gary Mottola, principle of Madison Marquette/Asbury Park, said soft lighting will be added around the lake and said lighting from the Casino will reflect off Wesley Lake in a magical way.
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