Seaside Heights Plans Additions to Carousel Pavilion: More History, Community Space

Seaside Heights Carousel Pavilion (Photo: Shorebeat)

Seaside Heights’ Carousel Pavilion has now been off and running as a staple boardwalk attraction with its namesake carousel back in operation for two seasons, leading officials to plot the future of the remainder of the oceanfront property, which is currently vacant.

Much of the carousel building was built with state Green Acres funding, meaning any additions will require state approval. The property as a whole was acquired by the borough in a land swap that saw some borough-owned property transferred to Casino Pier to help rebuild after Superstorm Sandy. In exchange, the borough received the carousel itself and the valuable boardwalk land to build the pavilion. The pavilion was funded in part by grants and in part by the Seaside Heights Historical Society, which was formed to raise funds to keep the carousel alive in its new home. Now, borough planner Jennifer Gorini said this week, officials are looking to plot the property’s future with three new ideas.

New Ideas

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Gorini said the borough has come up with three ideas for the rest of the property that would incorporate more of the borough’s history into the pavilion, space for community and civic groups to gather, and much-needed storage.

“Seaside Heights has two historic firetrucks that the Fire Department would like to relocate from the firehouse to make space for other rescue equipment,” said Gorini. “These historic firetrucks would make a great addition to the museum.”

The Seaside Heights antique firetruck in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. (File Photo)

Second, she said, the borough and the Historical Society envision a room that can be used for meetings and small private events, which would be built at the site under the proposed plan. Finally, a third, smaller building would be used as a storage closet.

What’s Next?

The property and the building are protected under the Green Acres program, Gorini said, and as such, all improvements on the property must support outdoor recreation, protect natural resources, or protect historic resources. The borough is currently seeking public input on the proposals, and has set a deadline of Dec. 1 for public comments to be submitted. Those wishing to have their input considered are asked to e-mail their message to jgorini@jgplanning.com by Dec. 1.

Input is not limited to the improvements included in this article, but should consider the Green Acres Program mission “to achieve, in partnership with others, a system of interconnected open spaces, whose protection will preserve and enhance New Jersey’s natural environment and its historic, scenic, and recreational resources for public use and enjoyment.” Improvements on the property will also be subject to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Coastal Area Facility Review Act.

The initial proposals, plus residents’ input, will be incorporated into a conceptual floor plan that will be presented to the public at a borough council meeting after in January.