City would reopen linear park to traffic Ocean Avenue park would lose Green Acres status Long Branch LONG BRANCH — A portion of Ocean Avenue that has been deemed a “linear park” under state Green Acres provisions could soon be open to vehicular traffic. The city council authorized a professional service contract with Schoor DePalma, Manalapan engineering firm, at the Sept. 27 council meeting for a diversion proposal that would swap a portion of land on the Green Acres inventory with another piece of land, according to city Business Administrator Howard H. Woolley. “We think this a positive decision,” Woolley said. “It is something we have been speaking about doing for some time.” The proposal calls for reopening less than an acre of property on Ocean Avenue from Madison Avenue to Seaview Terrace. The tract has been closed to vehicular traffic since it was placed on the Green Acres inventory list in 1988, according to Woolley. “In order to do that, we would have to add a piece of property to Green Acres that is larger,” Woolley said. The parcel would be replaced on Green Acres with the Great Lawn property located on just over four acres of land between McKinley Street and Ocean Avenue, and bordered on the south by Madison Avenue and to the north by Rooney’s restaurant. The linear park on Ocean Avenue is currently used for walking and biking, and if it opens to traffic, it would be to very low-impact and low-speed vehicular traffic, according to Woolley. “We will review it as we move forward, but first we have to get it off Green Acres,” Woolley said. But one resident told council she was opposed to their decision to remove the park from Green Acres. “You will be taking a big part away form the community,” Denise Hoagland, Ocean Terrace, said. “I think that for the safety of those who live in the city, you should seriously reconsider this.” The adopted resolution authorized an additional fee of $24,127 for a total of $45,511 to Schoor DePalma for the diversion plan.