An architectural rendering of Carteret’s new Waterfront Park pavilion on Veterans Pier. Although the media has compared it to Woodbridge’s new Sewaran’s ‘tiki bar,” this Carteret recreation venue is three times larger and on the borough’s drawing board for three year’s longer. Credits: CARTERET BORO / DMR ARCHITECTS
CARTERET, NJ — Apartment complex tenants and others who live near the borough’s waterfront are not thrilled about new plans for a Waterfront Park “tiki bar,” an outdoor stage and cooking facilities that they believe will attract more traffic and noise.
Opponents claim Carteret’s latest plan was undertaken without public input, will further damage their ordinarily quiet lifestyle, and attract more traffic, putting them “at greater risk,” according to Facebook posts and emails from objectors.
This week, Mayor Daniel J. Reiman announced a $4 million plan for a “tiki bar pavilion,” an outdoor stage, and a “mobile kitchen” on Veteran’s Pier at Waterfront Park, along with other recreation amenities. Read: Carteret to Build a Waterfront ‘Tiki Bar’ Pavilion & More .
Borough spokesperson Bob Makin dismissed the recent complaints as “baseless,” saying the projects have been discussed “time and time again” at public meetings since 2022. “There is no danger of more traffic or to pedestrian safety … a baseless ridiculous claim,” he said.
Makin said people are always welcome at municipal meetings to discuss any project. “Public input is greatly appreciated,” he said.
After news broke about what Makin says is more accurately “a pier pavilion,” opponents from the “Save Carteret Avenue ” neighborhood group posted this message on their Facebook site:
“ For more than a year now, people living in the Meridian Square neighborhood – and parents whose children attend the nearby Columbus School – have expressed concerns about a new public street being squeezed between buildings in Meridian Square and two other residential (complexes). We have expressed our concerns to the borough about ferry traffic, and the noise and safety problems that traffic will bring.”
“ With this … tiki bar coming to the waterfront, our fears are magnified. The noise and late-night traffic generated by bars and restaurants on the waterfront will have a significant impact on our quality of life if access to the waterfront is granted through our parking lot. Our right to a safe, quiet neighborhood is going to be sacrificed to serve commercial development unless the town comes to its senses.”
Activist Wayne Johnson, spokesman for Meridian Square and Meridan Terrace tenants, emailed TAPinto saying the w aterfront redevelopments are “taking place with no public input,” and “will eventually destroy the quiet, residential character of the town and the ability of middle-class, working people to afford to live here.”
“ No one seems concerned about what will happen to our quality-of-life and cost of living. I hope people in town wake up to what’s happening. I hope the borough takes time to consider us and be open about what’s occurring on the waterfront,” Johnson said. “We are not asking for much. We just want to be part of the decision-making.”
A Meridian Terrace mother sent an email saying: “What’s wrong with Carteret? They do what they want without telling us, and want us to swallow it … not fair.” The woman wrote that she walks her children to the Columbus School, noting that “(Carteret) doesn't mention more traffic lights, more crossing guards or cops. Are they thinking about our safety?”
“ Of course (people’s) safety is a priority,” said Makin, the borough spokesperson. “To suggest otherwise is ridiculous.” Makin emphasized the pier pavilion project and other waterfront recreation amenities were “carefully planned, reviewed, and publicly discussed for over two years.”
ABOUT ‘PIER PAVILION’
The construction start for this new pavilion on Veteran’s Pier in Waterfront Park made headlines this week. However, this project has been on Carteret’s drawing board since 2022, borough officials explained.
Plans and funding were discussed during at least four Borough Council meetings over the past two years, most notably when the NJ Department of Environmental Protection approved project permits in August 2023.
Construction is underway by Elizabeth-based Arco Construction Group , and is to be completed by March 30th. It includes a three-season outdoor Veteran’s Pier “tiki bar” and snack stand; and a 24-by-32-foot stage for music performances. Eventually, it will have a 25-foot mobile kitchen to serve food and beverages from spring to fall.
The project is part of Mayor Reiman’s vision to turn Carteret’s once “chemical coastline” into a public recreation and commercial destination.
The project is funded with a $1.57 million Middlesex County Open Space Grant; a $73,000 grant from the NJ Dept. of Community Affairs; and the remainder from the borough’s Open Space Trust Fund and its 2024 capital budget, the borough said.
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