Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • S p r i n g 2 0 1 6 14 14 BEACHCOMBER continued from page 13 SANDY UPDATE Cattus Island County Park Redux Renovations To The Cooper Environmental Center Are Finally Underway Courtesy Cattus Island County Park The Cooper Environmental Center at Cattus Island County Park in Toms River before Superstorm Sandy. N estled off Fischer Boulevard in Toms River is one of the gems of Ocean County: Cattus Island County Park. The 500-acre park sits along Barnegat Bay, outlined by tidal marshes and wetlands with several trails for hiking, walking, and biking. Open seven-days-a-week, 365-days- a-year, the park is frequented by thousands of people each year who want to escape into nature with their thoughts, their cameras, or their friends. Unfortunately, more than sixty percent of the park ended up under water during Superstorm Sandy's storm surge on October 29, 2012, and the park's centerpiece, the Cooper Environmental Center, was flooded with more than a foot of water. The reptiles, fish, frogs, and other animals that called the Center home were safely relocated to Jake's Branch County Park in Beachwood before Sandy's direct hit. The building itself, which con- tained several nature exhibits, a classroom/workshop area, and the administrative offices of the park, was heavily damaged and has been closed since Sandy's devastation. Also destroyed were a few of the trails and several of their boardwalks. Since the storm, the park staff has worked out of a trailer adjacent to the building. The public has felt the loss of their beloved Environmental Center over the past three-and-a-half years. Before Sandy, the Center hosted free programs for the public. It was also a popular destination for many Ocean County schools, community groups, and scout troops who learned about life along the estuary, the different types of animals and birds native to Ocean County, as well as the ecology of the area. More than three years post-Sandy, the building remained gutted. Officials were faced with decid- ing upon the best approach to res- toration. "After the storm, it was difficult for us to determine how to rebuild," said Ocean County Freeholder Director John C. Bartlett Jr., who serves as liaison to the Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation. Bartlett stated that officials considered knocking the building down to build a new one or raising the current structure; yet neither option was feasible. "If we tore it down, we would never get the permits to rebuild in its current loca- tion; and raising the structure would have been too cost prohibitive based upon the current foundation config- uration," he said. County officials decided upon the most feasible plan: make the building storm resistant. It was finally announced in October 2015 that the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders would receive bids on the Cooper Environmental Center restoration project and that work could begin as early as January. The contract was ultimately awarded in December to Gavan Central Contracting Inc. for $905,000. Gavin already had a history with the Environmental Center—their company built the original structure. The project entails replacing the building's outside siding with a fiber and cement product to eliminate the potential for mold. An epoxy- based floor will replace carpet and tile flooring. High pressure laminate walls, waterproof insulation, and new An exhibit at the Environmental Center before the storm. Judy Cardella

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