Seaside park approves plan to rebuild amusement pier destroyed by sandy, completely lost in 2013 boardwalk fire

SEASIDE PARK, N.J. — The Seaside Park Planning Board has approved a portion of a proposal to rebuild Funtown Pier, the former iconic amusement destination destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and a devastating boardwalk fire in 2013.

The approval allows for the expansion of the pier’s footprint but excludes any plans for rides or buildings at this stage, according to a report in the Seaside-Lavallette Shorebeat today.

William Major, the pier’s owner, proposed an 88-by-100-foot concrete pier extension along with an elevated office building, a storage facility, and a 200-foot-tall “Sling Shot” thrill ride. However, at the request of his attorney, Stephen R. Leone, the planning board bifurcated the application, approving only the pier extension while deferring decisions on the proposed structures and ride until a later date. “The current DEP permits for the pier are set to expire soon, and therefore [Major] needs to obtain local site plan approval for the extension,” said Frank Little, a consulting planner and engineer for the project.

The pier rebuild proposal was presented to the planning board earlier this month.

While the board’s approval clears the way for construction of the pier extension, it includes a stipulation that prohibits any structures, rides, or other uses on the pier unless specifically approved at a future hearing. Major must schedule a hearing on the building and ride components of the project by Feb. 1, 2025, or risk having those portions of the application denied. If denied, Major would need to start the application process anew, according to Shorebeat.

To include the 200-foot Sling Shot ride, Funtown Pier will need a variance from the borough’s planning board, as local zoning currently limits ride heights to 100 feet. The height restriction, which was raised from a prior limit of 50 feet, remains a sticking point for Major, who previously stated that larger thrill rides are necessary to make the pier financially viable.

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