New Beach Haven Beach Patrol Headquarters building ready for summer

Nearly two years after Superstorm Sandy devastated the Beach Haven Beach Patrol headquarters building on Centre Street, members of the beach patrol and town council gathered around the newly built structure for a ceremonial ribbon cutting, held early morning, Friday, June 27 . The two-story, oceanfront facility, which replaced the former one-story building built in 1989, now offers the beach patrol and the public a better, more convenient beach experience.

“I think it shows Beach Haven’s commitment to not only our lifeguards who act as our first responders watching our children on the beach, but it’s also a commitment to the people who vacation here in Beach Haven,” said Mayor Robert Keeler.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
The new two-story building permits lifeguards to survey
nearly 90 percent of the town. It also appeals to the
public with expanded restrooms, shower access and more.

Construction of the new building began in March, with Midwest Construction and Paint of Southampton Township leading the project. The company offered the lowest bid at $428,757. The total cost of the building was about $440,000, including additional changes. The highest bid from other companies was approximately $780,000.

“It’s a beautiful attraction for everybody walking in. It’s really a centerpiece of the town,” said three-year Beach Haven Beach Patrol Chief Mike Lawrence. “It’s a beautiful building to look at, especially down by the water and at the street entrance. And it’s the only building like it on the Island, which makes it unique and very special.”

The building’s new lifeguard safety garage keeps lifesaving equipment within easy reach on the ground floor. Previously, lifeguards had to haul their equipment back and forth from a supply yard on Amber Street.

The beach patrol includes 35 lifeguards. This year’s staff also includes 45 badge checkers, an increase from around 18 last year. The additional staff means badge checkers will be stationed at most beach entrances within the town.

The building’s upstairs meeting room and top deck now also permits members of the beach patrol to better safeguard the area.

“It allows us to survey 90 percent of the town so we can have constant supervision of the beaches and the guards,” said Lawrence. This is his 16th year as a lifeguard in Beach Haven and his 26th year as a guard in the local area. “We can see all the way from 12th Street down to Iroquois Avenue, all the way to the Holyoke jetty,” he emphasized.

The handicap-accessible facility offers public access to expanded male and female restrooms as well as outside showers on the bottom deck, for rinsing off.

“It makes it a lot more convenient for the people that go to the beach. That just adds to their overall enjoyment of the day,” said Lawrence.

Keeler said he hopes other local municipalities will see the restroom facilities are beneficial to both the town and its visitors.

“A lot of people shy away from having bathrooms, and I think if they took a look at this they would see that it’s aesthetically pleasing,” he said. “It fits in with the historical mode of this part of town.”

The building features red cedar siding and a historical yet modern design. Bicycle racks have been placed on the street-entrance, behind the building, and benches will be added to the ground-floor deck, overlooking the ocean.

An office for beach badge sales is also located on the bottom level. Hours are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Keeler said town officials are continuing to work hard to make the town better than it was before Sandy.

“When you look at the building, it shows that almost two years after the storm we are coming back. Our facilities are bigger, and they are better,” he said. “That’s what we’re seeing all through Beach Haven. Whether it’s our businesses or homeowners, everybody has been responding so wonderfully over the last two years, and I think it’s a real tribute to the spirit of the people here in Beach Haven.”

Like many Long Beach Island-goers, the mayor while growing up spent many summers enjoying the Queen City with family. He said he wants to keep that tradition alive.

“Some people save all year to spend a week or two staying in Beach Haven. That’s why our beaches are cleaned every day. We try to have nice facilities so that they can enjoy their time down here,” said Keeler. “It’s a privilege that we have, that for 100 days we host people down here that are making memories with their families. I hope that the people that vacation here now spend more time here as they get older and have those kind of memories and bring their kids back. That’s what keeps us going. We can’t lose sight of that.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.