A portion of the $2 million Jersey Shore pier built in the shape of a Christian cross — which drew much attention when it opened last year — is set to reopen amid an ongoing structural investigation.
The new pier in the Ocean Grove section of Neptune has been closed since mid-December. The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, which owns the pier, provided an update Saturday on a review by the McLaren Engineering Group, a firm hired to investigate problems with the pier’s pilings.
Three of the pier’s 88 newly-installed pilings were broken by “unusually strong ocean wave action” on separate occasions on the Monmouth County beach in October and December, the camp meeting association previously said.
“McLaren needs further investigation of the new portion of the pier prior to a full reopening. We are preparing to reopen a portion of the previously existing pier,” the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Assocation posted to its website.
The group did not announce a reopening date or say how much of the pier will reopen. Officials from the camp meeting association did not immediately respond Monday to a request to comment.
Neptune “had no role in the decision to partially reopen the pier,” said Gina LaPlaca, the township’s business administrator.
The township is seeking additional information from the camp meeting association and had not been notified of a reopening date as of Monday morning, LaPlaca said.
The new pier’s cross-shaped design has drawn criticism from some residents who said the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association has inserted too much religious symbolism into spaces used by the public. The cross design was staunchly defended by the camp meeting association, which owns both the pier and the land where the public enters the 500-foot-long structure.
Ocean Grove began as a Methodist summer retreat and the Christian association still owns much of the land in the community and leases it to homeowners and businesses.
The new pier replaced a structure mostly destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.
“Through the generosity of our supporters and the use of OGCMA funds we were proud to have a new, beautiful pier that could be enjoyed by all who came to share our little piece of the Jersey Shore,” the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association posted to its website Saturday.
“As you know, in October of 2023, just six months after it opened, and again in December 2023, unusually strong wave action caused three of the new pier pilings to break. Out of an abundance of caution, we made the decision to temporarily close the pier and it has remained closed since,” the association posted.
Divers from McLaren did an underwater inspection Feb. 15 in an attempt to determine the cause and extent of any damage. The nationally-known engineering firm’s clients include several high-profile building projects and concert tours by Taylor Swift and the Rolling Stones.
The company, which has an office in Woodcliff Lake in Bergen County, previously declined comment on its review of the pier.
Ocean Grove, a Jersey Shore community with roughly 3,000 residents, is not its own municipality. It is a section of Neptune set aside with a unique charter tied to its roots as a Methodist beach resort founded 150 years ago.
The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is paying for the engineering review of the pier, according to Neptune Township officials.
Neptune United, a local advocacy group, raised concerns about the pier’s cross-shaped design before it opened. The group also objected to Ocean Grove’s policy of barring beach access from the boardwalk on Sunday mornings in a summer tradition tied to the community’s religious roots.
The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is challenging an order from the state Department of Environmental Protection to stop using chains and padlocked barriers blocking beach access from its Monmouth County boardwalk or risk fines of up to $25,000 per day.
A state administrative court judge had scheduled up to five days of court hearings starting April 17 on the beach closure issue, but the hearings were recently postponed.
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
