By PETE WALTON
The Bradley Beach Borough Council is soliciting bids for demolition of the former First United Methodist Church on LaReine Avenue.
The unanimous decision came after no one bid on the property at a public auction in July.
At the same time, the council voted to ask the borough Land Use Board to approve subdivision of the property into four lots and record deed restrictions on the land.
“We’ve been asking for this since last October,” said Councilman Al Gubitosi of the decision to apply to the land use board.
The council rejected a proposal by Mayor Larry Fox to hire an engineering firm “to provide professional environmental and engineering services, bidding assistance, and construction administration services for the demolition” of the church building.
“We’ve spent enough on this already,” Council President Jane DeNoble said.
Fox said the cost for an engineer to oversee the work was previously estimated at $47,000.
DeNoble said she spoke with the mayors and business administrators of Spring Lake and Avon, who have dealt with demolition of borough-owned property in their towns.
She said the business administrators of the two boroughs provided oversight of demolition, which was performed by contractors.
The council president said Avon Business Administrator Kerry McGuigan offered to answer any questions Bradley Beach may have about the process.
According to Gubitosi, the Avon and Spring Lake officials asked, “Why would you spend $50,000 on an engineer?”
Fox said that after no bids were received on the church property, the borough sought feedback from developers and real estate agents. He said the consensus was that preapproval for a subdivision would be the best way to proceed.
The borough bought the former church from the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association in January 2020 for $1.3 million. The land and improvements on the site have an assessed valuation of $3,181,200 for 2024, according to Monmouth County tax records. As a church, the land and building were exempt from property taxes.
The site was considered for use as a community center. The council authorized cost studies and an architectural firm projected $10 million as the cost of conversion.
Voters in a 2022 non-binding referendum rejected the proposed $10 million price tag.
Paul Neshamkin, a borough resident who organized the unsuccessful campaign to turn the church into a community center, asked if the borough was still planning to save historic artifacts which remained in the building.
Fox said those efforts were continuing, and that arrangements have been made for preservation of a number of artifacts.
The mayor revealed that the Church of the Seven Presidents in Long Branch was interested in acquiring the organ from the former Bradley Beach church. The Long Branch building, which is in the process of being restored and will be a museum, is the last remaining structure associated with all seven U.S. presidents who vacationed in Monmouth County. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.
Fox joined DeNoble, Gubitosi and Councilwoman Kristen Mahoney in voting to solicit demolition bids and apply for a subdivision. Councilman John Weber abstained from voting since his home is located near the church property.
