TOMS RIVER – A new gazebo and a new kayak launch will be greeting visitors to Huddy Park this spring.
The gazebo could be seen while driving over the bridge to South Toms River. It had become damaged during a windstorm on August 3. One of the beams had become twisted, presumably by the wind. The center eventually gave out some time later. Once the damage was noticed by a security guard, it had been cordoned off from the public. Ultimately, it was deemed unsafe and demolished.
At a recent Township Council meeting, Township Engineer Robert Chankalian gave an update on the new gazebo reconstruction. At issue was how much of the original base could still be used for the new one. Professionals would have to see if they could attach the new structure to the old base.
The new gazebo would have metal posts and a wood top, he said. The contractor is one that the township has used before, and they have built similar structures that withstood Superstorm Sandy.
Huddy Park had been remodeled a few years ago. The gazebo had been upgraded then, but the framing of it was original, he said.
Toms River Business Administrator Louis Amoruso said the township has submitted an insurance claim. He believes that there will be no cost for the repair.
It will join a new feature for the park, a kayak launch. The launch itself comes down from a ramp built along the side of the bulkhead on the east side of the park. Kayaks can be put in the launch so people can enter without the kayak moving around.
As a cautionary note, the parking lot near the kayak launch requires paid parking most days. Drivers might face a $15 parking ticket if they forget that paying for parking is required, as the writer of this article did while taking photographs.
