What's Next For Camp Osborn?

The official report on the fire that destroyed one of Brick's oldest neighborhoods was short, but the farthest thing from sweet.

A witness who remained in the township's barrier island section told investigators that at 7:20 p.m. the night of Oct. 29, he saw electrical transformers explode in Camp Osborn, then a fire break out at one of the homes near the beachfront.

A "blizzard of sparks and smoke" followed, according to the report, and strong winds brought on by the hurricane and, presumably, natural gas leaks, kept the blaze burning from ocean to bay.

Firefighters attempted to reach the area, but a breach near the Mantoloking Bridge prevented them from doing so, and the impassable state of Route 35 prevented firefighters from accessing the site from the south.

Six months later, the Camp remains a burnt out disaster area. Residents are waiting for the township to award a debris removal and demolition contract so they can begin plotting their future. Such a contract is on the agenda for the May 7 council meeting.

But homeowners have openly worried since the days after the storm hit that their community as they knew it could be gone forever, mirroring the worries of other Shore residents that somehow, developers could swoop in and replace their homes with million dollar "McMansions."

For Camp Osborn, a unique, well-kept, friendly, middle class community – residents, even in the face of tragedy, have decorated fences with American flags and positive messages – made up of a healthy mix of year-round residents and seasonal homeowners, the stakes were high. Keeping a rebuilt community affordable for families to remain there has become a challenge that is at the core of the overall rebuilding process.

The neighborhood itself is made up of three entities – two homeowners associations where residents own their lots and the homes built on them, and a smaller area that is owned by a single individual who leases the land to tenants who own the buildings only.

Township officials have indicated they prefer the community to be rebuilt as one single project rather than a smattering of individual building projects. For residents, the number of homes in the neighborhood could not re-fit into place given 21st century building codes.

"What everybody had such a hard time with was getting past the beach cottage community and their single family homes," said Matthew Presutti, president of the Osborn Sea-Bay Condominium Association, the HOA that represents the largest portion of the neighborhood. "A lot of people, understandably, had an attachment to that idea."

So how can so many residents fit into a neighborhood that can no longer legally support all of the structures that were destroyed?

There are many options on the table, thanks to the American Institute of Architects, whose nonprofit arm is assisting residents in the rebuilding process and helping find a solution that would allow homeowners to rebuild in a compliant, affordable and agreeable manner.

The AIA hosted an all-day session with residents last weekend to brainstorm ideas and get a sense of what types of buildings would be acceptable.

"Everybody wanted to focus on affordability," said Presutti. "These are not going to be giant homes. That's been the primary concern of mine, the town and the association from the beginning."

Presutti said the AIA completed a survey of residents to see how many would be interested in returning.

"There was a small percentage who said no, but most people were undecided," said Meghan Presutti, whose family owns multiple homes in the neighborhood. "And the driving force behind that was affordability."

Since the meeting, residents have been posting potential building designs in a social media group and discussing how they'd like their future neighborhood to look. The former dirt streets will be paved, wider than they had been in the past, and on the plus side, there will be plenty of parking.

But "people don't want to live in a parking lot," said Meghan Presutti. "They want to maintain that Shore feel. They want to have as much sand as they possibly can."

Townhomes or duplex-style homes look to be solid options, many residents said.

"Townhouses or duplex homes are aesthetically pleasing for the township and community at large, and structurally built up to code for safety and longevity," said Lauren Snowdon, a Camp resident, in an e-mail. "Camp Osborn homes were historically passed down through generations so sustainability over time is a critical element. Even more importantly, a community of townhouses or duplex homes offers the greatest range of flexibility for residents. Studio or one-bedroom options can accommodate single individuals or couples, while larger multi-bedroom styles will work for families or extended families who want to share their summer together in one place."

"I would love to have my same little house, but I know that is not possible," said Lauren Nolan, another resident. "At this point I just want it to be affordable for everyone. I cannot wait to be back there so my kids can continue to experience the wonderful summers and have the great friendships that I had as a child there."

For year-round residents, the concern is more dire, however.

Nick Honachefsky said he is facing the reality of being "virtually homeless" for two or three years.

"I don't think people understand how hard it is going to be for the ones who lost primary homes," he said in an e-mail. "And it's an unusual situation where normally I would've already started to rebuild, but the township isn't letting me get back home."

The timeline issue has become more of a concern as residents have waited six months with no progress, said Matthew Presutti. At first, residents favored sifting through the sand to find personal possessions that could still be buried, but now the focus is simply on moving forward.

"If we can get through the advanced planning process soon, then it is just the routine of site development," he said.

"Everybody had a tragedy here, and you realize that you have to wait your turn," said Meghan Presutti. "Now it's our turn."