Board discusses possible uses for 163 Monmouth Road after county meeting; no action taken

Board members reported that 163 Monmouth Road was mentioned as a potential site for municipal or county use but said the board has not taken any vote to pursue action on the property.

Board member Mister Dalton told colleagues he and Missus Gilman attended an Ocean Township municipal meeting where engineers and the police department outlined reasons for pursuing a new municipal building. “This building and Orchard Plaza on Route 35 were both mentioned as two of the top sites,” Dalton said, noting that the reference came from a scoring rubric used in the township’s site review.

Superintendent Walden and other board members reported a separate meeting between the district’s legislative liaison committee and Monmouth County Commissioner Arnaud about shared services and potential county programs. Walden said the county discussed bringing after-school programs to local parks and that county staff raised the possibility of using the district property in a way that could benefit both the town and the district.

Board members emphasized that the discussion is preliminary. “For the public, I would like to make clear that the board has not voted to take any action regarding this property,” Walden said. Members described the current phase as exploratory: the school board is aware of county interest and has begun preliminary conversations but has not made decisions.

Background and next steps Dalton recommended that residents review a 193‑page report referenced at the municipal information session; he described the document as “informative” and said it provided the township’s rationale for pursuing a new municipal building. Board members said potential avenues include municipal reuse or county open-space/park use and that the timeline, if pursued, would likely be long.

No formal motion or direction to staff was recorded in the meeting transcript.