Ocean Gate Seeks Input On Former School Site Redevelopment Plan

OCEAN GATE, NJ — Ocean Gate residents are being asked to weigh in on the future of the former Ocean Gate Elementary School property at 126 W. Arverne Ave., where the borough is seeking public input for a redevelopment plan and future zoning designation.

The site includes three school buildings, including the historic one-room schoolhouse, along with recreational fields, parking and accessory structures. The school is closed and will not be used for school-district instruction, according to a community engagement survey.

A public hearing concerning redevelopment of Block 3.03, Lots 5 and 6 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Ocean Gate Borough Municipal Building, 801 Ocean Gate Ave.

The survey says results will be summarized for the Land Use Board and borough officials, and that the survey is advisory and will help in the creation of the redevelopment plan and future zoning designation. Surveys should be returned by Oct. 19.

For more details, visit the Ocean Gate website.

According to the public notice, the Borough Council on June 24, 2026, designated the property as an area in need of redevelopment for condemnation purposes by Resolution 2026-55. The notice says the council also directed the Land Use Board to prepare a redevelopment plan.

Law requires the board to conduct a public hearing to obtain public input. Members of the public may attend, ask questions, cross-examine, make comments and present witnesses as allowed by law, according to the notice.

The hearing will be conducted in two phases, according to the notice. The first phase will include a presentation of documents of fact and the purpose of the public hearing, and the second will include a public engagement session to elicit comments, participation and input by the public. Area in Need of Investigation and Study documents are available for public review at the Land Use Board Office and the Municipal Clerk's office at borough hall, Monday through Friday except holidays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the notice.

The notice says redevelopment plan documents will be prepared after the Sept. 29 public hearing and will be available for review before the next Land Use Board redevelopment public hearing, which will be scheduled later. Survey responses may be emailed to tara@paxtonplanninggroup.com or mailed or delivered to the Ocean Gate Land Use Secretary at 801 Ocean Gate Ave., Ocean Gate, NJ 08740.