By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY, DownbeachToday – A grassroots effort forwarded by members of two condominium associations to beautify their neighborhood has materialized into a municipally-supported beachfront park that promises to be a place for mindfulness, meditation and reflection, supporters say.
Property owners at Costa Videre and Longport Seaview condominium complexes enlisted the support of the municipality to create a park along Beach Terrace between 15th and 16th avenues.
The municipality supplied the land, and the residents are raising the funds to vegetate the barren strip of land along the beachfront bulkhead. When the idea first materialized several years ago, the borough made improvements to the curbs and sidewalks.
Dedication Planned for July 4
Now, Longport’s favorites landscaper, Jaime Lloyd, has delivered and is planting low-growing trees, bushes, grasses, and native plants and flowers along the narrow strip of sandy soil.
Beach Terrace Park, Inc., the non-profit established to ensure the project gets completed and maintained well into the future, is raising funds to complete the project. So far, the group has raised $150,000 toward the cost of grading the land and installing a sprinkler system, paving path and fencing, but an additional $50,000 is needed.
According to Beach Terrace Park President Anthony Zaccardi, highlight of the park will be a Zen Garden on the south end of the park, which will provide “a peaceful, restorative environment for generations to enjoy.”
A dedication ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday, July 4.
Contributions are being accepted through the organization’s website, www.beachterracepark.com.