MANCHESTER – People rarely voice their objections when the Ocean County Commissioners announce plans to expand open space.
Many see the promise of open space as a means of avoiding overdevelopment in their communities. For those who weighed in on the county’s plans to procure the Surf & Stream Campground earlier this month, the purchase raised personal implications.
“The property owner accepted and negotiated an offer of $7.4 million, and has agreed to demolish structures on the property,” announced Ocean County Commissioner Deputy Director Virginia “Ginny” Haines. “Manchester Township has wholeheartedly supported this project and are contributing $1.5 million for the purchase.”
The county’s portion of the money comes from the Natural Lands Trust Fund, which is fueled by a tax on every property in the county.
Thirty or more families live on the site year-round and see themselves as a community unrooted with no place to go. Several said they only became aware of their prospective displacement in recent weeks.
Annette Diaz raised her children in a large home in Jackson she said had an estimated value of $500,000. She clenched a designer pocketbook under her arm as she told her story to the commissioners.
Diaz moved to Surf & Stream after a divorce left her in financial ruins four years ago. Many of the occupants on the campground live in recreational vehicles that can easily be attached to a hitch. Diaz opted for a Park Model, which she said can’t be relocated.
“First and foremost, I need to know what the plan is, as we’ve heard nothing,” implored Diaz. “I need to know how fast this is happening. I don’t want to find myself homeless.”
Others who rent lots at Surf & Stream expressed their fears as well. One gentleman said the problem was not so much moving his camper, as it was finding a place to park it full-time.
“I understand that this is a seasonal campground,” Haines said. “The arrangement you have with the owner of the property presently is between you and the owner. Anytime we buy any natural lands, all structures are going to be torn down.”
Anthony M. Agliata, Ocean County Planning Director said the transaction won’t be finalized until government authorities conclude their due diligence, including surveying and environmental reviews. He estimated the timeframe for the exchange as between six and nine months.
Haines said she felt badly and suggested the worried residents speak with Stephen Scaturro, Ocean County Director of Consumer Affairs. Scaturro stayed after the two-hour commissioner’s meeting and exchanged contact information.
“The campgrounds aren’t touted as a year-round development,” said Scaturro in an interview. “Ideally, the seller of the property would come to some sort of agreement to put some money in escrow and help these people relocate from there.”
Scaturro suggested the property owner might offer to purchase the more permanent structures. None of the occupants appear to have written lease agreements and many pay their lot fees in cash. The law requires the landowner file eviction proceedings to remove them from the property.
In an interview with The Manchester Times in 2018, Barry Bielat said he purchased the campgrounds in 2008 as an investment opportunity. He saw it as a beautiful place on the river and thought it would be a good location for a combination of new homes and businesses.
When he made his case for redevelopment in 2018, Bielat admitted that some people rented the lots for twelve months. However, he claimed those who paid year-round fees relocated elsewhere in the winter and no full-time residents would be displaced.
Bielat did not respond to a request for comment on how he intends to handle the current situation. Residents from Surf & Stream say they haven’t heard from him either.
A Winter Visit To Surf & Stream
The bulk of the 200 lots clustered together at Surf & Stream contain recreational vehicles differing in size, age and model. The site also includes a sprinkling of cabins, as well as some more permanent structures resembling mobile homes.
Some of the RVs are draped in fitted covers, presumably to protect them from the elements during the winter months. Meanwhile, many of the lots had cars parked out front on a Thursday morning visit. Barking dogs somewhat confirm their human companions haven’t taken off for warmer parts.
Flocks of geese and ducks congregated by the river appear to consider the campgrounds their year-round residence. Their presence across the street from a brown building marked the General Store seems counterintuitive to the frigid temperatures.
The door to the Surf & Stream General Store opened up to a scene reminiscent of the fictional town of Mayberry. A group of neighbors sat together at a diner type counter as part of their daily routine.
Marie Cicalo stood behind the counter and identified herself as the campground’s assistant manager. She and her husband own a brand new 42-foot camper that’s parked on one of the first lots. She’s as surprised as the rest of the community they’ll be forced to move. And, she has no idea where she’s going next.
“The worst part is we’re made out to be such a bad place,” said Cicalo, as he offered a cup of coffee. “It really isn’t. They’re just a few bad apples here like everywhere else.”
A woman bundled up in a fleece robe walked in and joined the conversation. She said she didn’t like the media portraying the campgrounds in such a negative light.
A 2019 stabbing left a man dead at the entrance to Surf & Stream. From his seat at the counter, resident Stephen Hand said the killing was the result of a drug deal gone bad.
“The problems in the neighborhood are like in any development,” Cicalo shared. You just notice it more here because we’re on top of each other. It’s more concentrated.”
Cicalo excused herself to answer the telephone. Someone was calling in to inquire about the availability of lot rentals. With no instructions from higher ups to do otherwise, Cicalo responded she had some very small sites available.
Hand said he’s been bringing his children to the campgrounds for more than four decades. He’s lived there full time for the last couple of years and his problem is not picking up and moving his camper. It’s finding a place to relocate.
“There are only so many full-time campgrounds in New Jersey,” Hand said. “People here are limited as to where they can go.”
Diaz, the first one to speak to the commissioners, said she plans to fight for help until the end. She’s worked too hard to change her life from where it was four years ago. And, she has no regrets that she made her new beginning at Surf & Stream.
“I love my space here,” Diaz said. “I have friends here in the summer and the kids love it. We have a DJ on Fridays, and movies on Saturdays. It’s not a blighted area like the media portrayed. And if the cops were always here, the town would have shut it down.”
Although the property owner has never contacted Diaz to advise she’d need to move, Diaz sent Bielat a letter herself. She’s also written to each of the commissioners.
According to Diaz, she entitled her letter “Annette’s Displacement.” She’s hoping someone pays attention – sooner than later.
