Hoping for reel improvement at co-op
Discussions under way on how to revitalize Belford fishing hub
BY DAN NEWMAN
Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO Leaders and residents want the local fishing industry to thrive along the bay in the future.

Following years of talking about and thinking of ways to improve the Belford Seafood Cooperative, the ball may have finally begun to roll.

About 100 fishermen, property owners, Seafood Co-op members, elected officials, state agency staff and local planning officials were present for a meeting Thursday at the Middletown Public Library on what to do with the approximately 15-acre area, some of which is owned by the co-op and some of which is privately owned. Last year, the township received a $75,000 Smart Future Planning Grant from the state to study what opportunities were feasible for the site in the future.

The aim of the study, and the project as a whole, is to revive the struggling fishing industry at the co-op, located on Main Street in Belford. The co-op was started in 1953, and since then, has been known as a central hub of activity in the community for fishermen to dock their boats and to fish on a regular basis.

The surrounding area was revitalized with the completion of the Bayshore Ferry Terminal and the Dunes at Shoal Harbor, a luxury townhouse development. Even with the upgrades, the township is looking to improve things even more.

"The bulkhead is in horrible condition and organizing the site will be a challenge, but it's something that can be done," said Bradley Decker, a planner with the Lewis Berger Group. "Hopefully, the project will be completed by the end of August."

Township Planning Director Anthony Mercantante says the goal for the site is to refurbish it to the point that everyone can gain use out of it.

"That area is part of the fabric of the town, and so we want to develop it for the entire fishing industry," Mercantante said. "We know that it's been struggling recently and so we want it to be functional all year round.

According to Mercantante, the potential uses for the area include an aquaculture facility, a live fish market and a mixed-use retail/recreation destination, an item that did not thrill at least one township resident.

"I certainly would not support any sort of retail development over there," Vince Solarino said. "If this isn't done right it's not going to be good. We already have littering and loitering and people relieving themselves over there, and it's just not good."

David Aimen, also from the Lewis Berger Group, said that restrictions that evolved over the last 20 or 30 years have made it tough for fishermen.

"Things are tough at the present time because the fisheries really have declined," Aimen said. "In the Belford and Port Monmouth areas it really is tough to find a place to fish these days. So many fishing families lived in Belford and there was a real sense of community, but it's not that way anymore."

Another local resident, Henry Mitchell, is most concerned not about what may occur at the site, but rather what has been going on for as long as he can remember.

"There are a lot of good people that fish down there already. What happens to them?" Mitchell asked. "The independent types count as well, and I think that should be paramount in all of this. The town needs to think about the little guys as well."

Solarino echoed the sentiments of Mitchell.

"The fishing community is of the utmost importance," Solarino said. "That's such a big part of our town."

Mercantante also stated that the meeting was just the first step in the process. In the near future, interviews with local property owners, experts, township officials and others will be taking place.

"Items such as water quality, market demand and niches, and the availability of capital are important components of this project," Aimen said. "What we're doing right now is a feasibility study to see how well certain things can work."