Barnegat Light officials could take control of lighthouse

dogg57

dogg57

Piney
Jan 22, 2007
2,912
379
Southern NJ
southjerseyphotos.com
BARNEGAT LIGHT — Though the Barnegat Lighthouse has stood as a beacon to sailors and beachgoers along the Jersey Shore for almost 150 years, the state’s fiscal constraints might force a local agency to take control of the park.
During the last two weeks, a variety of groups, including the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce and the Borough of Barnegat Light, have expressed an interest in operating the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. The state Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Parks and Forestry runs the park now.
“We would love to see it stay as is,” said Kirk O. Larson, mayor of Barnegat Light. “But if there is a change, we would be more than willing to figure out a way to keep it and make sure it is left as is. We are preparing for what is going to happen.”

http://www.app.com/article/20111005...lighthouse?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage
 
46er

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
Given the fiscal status of the state, stuff like this is inevitable. If it were not for that Friends group, that park would be all but forgotten. They engineered the re-lighting of the light and the various programs that go on. Management of the 3 parks; IBSP, Dbl Trbl, and Barnegat Light, plus the Forked River Marina, all come under the lack of supervision of one man, who cares little for the quality of job he does. Many of the programs at IBSP have already been placed in private hands. IMO, if this does come to pass, the local govt should be the controlling body and the Friends group continue with them as they did with the state.
 
scubabruce

scubabruce

Scout
Jul 1, 2011
86
21
ATCO, NJ
Last week I visited the Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It's sorta like a Batsto. I was impressed by how well the place was managed and maintained. The area was bought by a group of businessmen and put under a board of trustees. Admission price is high ($17) but the money is put to good use maintaining the place. They have a good restaurant and gift shop on the grounds, lots of public and corporate sponsors, volunteers, and affiliations with several universities. I started thinking, wow, maybe the state of NJ should consider getting out of SOME of the parks and turning them over to private industry - either all together or through subcontracting. In my opinion it's very probable that these places could be better maintained by private industry. Yeah, you're going to have to pay more to get in, but it might be worth it.
 
Gibby

Gibby

Piney
Apr 4, 2011
1,646
444
Trenton
Waterloo Village is in shambles. The bridge across the river to the inclined plane for the Morris Canal has collapsed and the fake Indian village is boarded up. I don't even think the church has services anymore. Atleast the Barnegat Lighthouse is an area that gets more tourist traffic. The lighthouse's chances to do well are much higher. I was taking pictures of the icehouse by Waterloo early this summer and that area was dead except for traffic in the trade area, which is just up the road.
 
46er

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
Gibby said:
Waterloo Village is in shambles. The bridge across the river to the inclined plane for the Morris Canal has collapsed and the fake Indian village is boarded up. I don't even think the church has services anymore. Atleast the Barnegat Lighthouse is an area that gets more tourist traffic. The lighthouse's chances to do well are much higher. I was taking pictures of the icehouse by Waterloo early this summer and that area was dead except for traffic in the trade area, which is just up the road.
Click to expand...

Waterloo counted a lot on festivals and concerts, but that doesn't help much when its mismanaged. It was either last year or this, that they have had limited openings in years.

At BLSP all they have that they can do for revenue is charge for parking and climbing the lighthouse.
 
scubabruce

scubabruce

Scout
Jul 1, 2011
86
21
ATCO, NJ
46er said:
Waterloo counted a lot on festivals and concerts, but that doesn't help much when its mismanaged. It was either last year or this, that they have had limited openings in years.

At BLSP all they have that they can do for revenue is charge for parking and climbing the lighthouse.
Click to expand...

From the Press of Atlantic City Article:
Atlantic City’s Absecon Lighthouse is operated and maintained by the Inlet Public/Private Association, a nonprofit with the overall stated goal of promoting development in the resort’s inlet neighborhoods.
In 2010, tax records show the nonprofit raised $244,527 and spent $209,883, including $180,315 to rebuild the lighthousekeeper’s house.
The association was able to raise $106,193 in admissions and received $75,031 in government grants, the rest coming from membership dues, contributions and fundraising.

....and that's how they get their money at the Shaker Village, plus a gift shop and using volunteers (a freebe) to run the place.
 
46er

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
scubabruce said:
From the Press of Atlantic City Article:
Atlantic City’s Absecon Lighthouse is operated and maintained by the Inlet Public/Private Association, a nonprofit with the overall stated goal of promoting development in the resort’s inlet neighborhoods.
In 2010, tax records show the nonprofit raised $244,527 and spent $209,883, including $180,315 to rebuild the lighthousekeeper’s house.
The association was able to raise $106,193 in admissions and received $75,031 in government grants, the rest coming from membership dues, contributions and fundraising.

....and that's how they get their money at the Shaker Village, plus a gift shop and using volunteers (a freebe) to run the place.
Click to expand...

Absecon is not a state park and is leased to the association. The state has indicated that BLSP will remain a state park. If the state changes its mind remains to be seen.

As an aside, next weekend is the NJ Lighthouse Challenge.

http://www.lighthousechallengenj.org/LightChallNJ/Home.html
 
Boyd

Boyd

Administrator
Staff member
Site Administrator
Jul 31, 2004
9,876
3,043
Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
46er said:
that was tried with Waterloo Village. It turned into a disaster.
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That's funny - I just started reading Beck's 1964 "Tales and Towns of Northern New Jersey". In the Foreword he says that the book already needs updating...

In Chapter V, "Frenche's Castle and Waterloo", I reported that this charming Canal village faced eventual obliteration. I have recently learned that Waterloo's restoration as a typical early American village, associated with what was the only canal in the world to climb and descend mountains, seems assured through the means and planning of one content to put things back as they were. So far, there seems to be no prospect of the intrusion of the kind of commercial enterprises which Bill Augustine refers to as "tourist traps".
Click to expand...

I don't really know that part of NJ very well, am going to have to make a road trip one of these days. :)
 
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