Coaster Photo
Neptune is working repairing this sinkhole in the tennis courts in Ocean Grove.
A sinkhole has shut down the tennis and pickleball courts on Broadway in Ocean Grove.
Neptune Director of Public Works Dave Milmoe said that the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association brought the sinkhole to the township’s attention about three weeks ago. The township has been researching the extent of the damage and assessing the next steps.
“Ocean Grove has very distinctive drains,” Milmoe said.
The pipes run about two feet deep directly underneath the courts but have caused a depression of about 10-feet by 10-feet, according to Milmoe.
The township is currently getting quotes to fix the damage which they must do in collaboration with the OGCMA since the pipes run through the association’s property.
Milmoe is hoping that if the damage is isolated enough, the OGCMA can open the pickleball courts. A determination will be made over the next week.
Moving forward, Milmoe said the larger questions that surround the problem include determining whether the same problems will occur in 20-25 years. Milmoe said the project is now in the township engineering department’s hand to make the best decision.
Deputy Mayor Keith Cafferty, the committee liaison to the public works department, said the township has tried to get ahead of potential problems.
“We’ve been very proactive about replacing aged systems in Neptune,” he said. “I can’t imagine there’s much in Neptune that needs to be replaced soon. Ocean Grove is always a challenge but we’re being very careful.”
