By PETE WALTON
The former Taylor Memorial Baptist Church on Sylvania Avenue in Avon is scheduled to be demolished Mon., May 23.
The church, which was built in 1886 and initially called the First Baptist Church, was renamed in 1927 in honor of a former minister. The building is made out of brick, though renovations in the 1940s left it covered in stucco.
After the congregation dwindled, the church tried for more than a year to find a buyer before conveying the property to the borough. The Board of Commissioners voted in December to demolish the building after their attempts to sell it were also futile.
Demolition of the church will allow the property to be divided into two standard sized lots, one containing an existing home and another where a new building could be constructed by a buyer.
Borough Administrator Timothy M. Gallagher said the matter will go before the Planning Board in June as a courtesy, though any input from the board will be considered by the commissioners.
At their meeting this week, the commissioners discussed how to best market the two properties. Gallagher said it would be easier to sell the vacant land than the lot which contains the existing home. Mayor John B. Magrini said the borough did not plan to use a real estate agent to list the property, but Avon can pay a small fee to the Monmouth/Ocean Mulitiple Listing Service to make sure that information about the property reached the widest possible universe of potential buyers.
Four boatowners have expressed interest in leasing berths at the municipal marina. One boat is currently moored there. Interested parties can contact the municipal offices for more information.
The commissioners voted to hire Fidencio Flores as a Class I Special Police officer for the summer. That brings the total number of special officers to 20, 16 Class Is and four Class IIs.
A new business has surfaced on Main Street in the long unused lot next to Casagrande’s liquor store. Magrini said the proprietors plan to sell clams and other fresh seafood. A boat is on the property, though it is not clear how it would fit in with the retail use.
Strings by the Sea, a summer concert series, has moved from the porch of a private residence to the boardwalk pavilion and the marina. Concerts will take place on Tues., June 28, Wed., July 13 and Tues., July 26 at the marina, and on Tues., July 5 and 12 at the pavilion.
The concerts are free and open to the public. They begin at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments are served. Strings by the Sea is a string orchestra made up of members of The Rose Trio and students of Kathleen McGee-Daly.
