Code Enforcement, Owner Of Defunct Santo Marina Site To Meet With Township Council President

Township Council President James J. Byrnes plans to meet with the owner of the old Santo Marina site and the township code enforcement officer Wednesday morning.

"He's going to get the opportunity to move things along," Byrnes said Tuesday afternoon. "It's just to see how we can start moving things along. The guy wants to be a good neighbor.""

James Murray, a Realtor with Remax of Barnegat Bay, handled the sale almost two years ago. Longtime owner Paul Santo - whose father founded the marina in the 1950s - sold the property to Ray Masucci, a builder from Staten Island.

A number of residents in the quiet neighborhood nearby the marina are planning to attend the May 23 Board of Adjustment meeting to oppose Masucci's plans to build 19 single-family, 2.5 story homes, 88 slips, a marina and a store.

But they are also y. Open buildings and trailers in a state of disrepair, abandoned boats, warped docks, crooked pilings and a lack of security are just some of their concerns.

Vandalism increased after Santo sold the marina to Masucci almost two years ago. Residents say the township code enforcement office and the state Department of Environmental Protection have yet to cite the new owner with any code violations.

Neighbors in the area hold the municipal and state agencies responsible for allowing the conditions to continue. The site is located at the mouth of the Toms River near Barnegat Bay.

Berkeley Patch will continue to follow this developing story.