By Emily Rose Finn
Manalapan’s plan to replace the aging guardhouse at the entrance to Point Manalapan is back on the drawing board after bids for the work greatly exceeded what town commissioners had authorized — even after the town scaled back the design.
In May, the town told residents construction would start in July. There is still no contract, and commissioners have not settled on how to proceed.
Nine contractors met the Aug. 21 deadline for bidding to tear down the old guardhouse and build a new one, with prices ranging from $489,000 to $897,935. Commissioners originally earmarked $100,000, but the budget grew to $300,000 as the town moved from renovation to replacement.
At an Aug. 11 commission meeting, before bids came in, Town Manager Eric Marmer said he anticipated “the cost to be higher than what was budgeted due in part to the pile foundations required,” according to minutes of the meeting.
The low bid came from KER Construction LLC, but staff did not recommend awarding a contract based on its cost.
Staff on Sept. 8 asked commissioners for direction on two options: to redesign and rebid the project or to defer the project and fold it into the new Town Hall/Police Department construction project.
Staff cited “the upcoming season and potential disruption associated with construction in that area” as a reason to wait.
Some suggestions for cutting costs included building on a slab instead of pilings, and eliminating a golf-cart overhang and feature window.
Commissioners said a reworked design put back out to bid should draw better prices, and that the town has only what it budgeted to spend.
Commissioners leaned toward redesigning and rebidding rather than folding the guardhouse into the Town Hall project.
In a September email to The Coastal Star, Marmer said the town plans to keep the design the same, with small changes to bring the cost down. “We are going to see if we can get it under the 300k the commission is allowing us to spend on the project, if not we will end up folding into the bigger Town Hall/PD building,” Marmer wrote.
The current guardhouse on Lands End Road dates to 1968 and is in too poor shape to renovate, officials said.
In March, architects from Currie Sowards Aguila presented a glass-and-coquina design with a steel trellis over the entry lanes, estimated at about $340,000. The town’s Architectural Commission rejected it, and the trellis was dropped.
In April, commissioners settled on a simpler “governmental style” building of about 248 square feet, with larger windows, two guard booths, a kitchenette and a restroom that meets federal disability (ADA) standards.
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