US Life Saving-Service Heritage Association

News

February 9, 2010

Ocean City NJ Open House Set

Join members of the Saving Our Station (SOS) Coalition from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, 2010, to tour this important historic site.

The purpose of this open house is to help to find buyers for the circa 1885 Station by raising awareness of its availability.

The SOS Coalition successfully negotiated with the property owner to allow us to market the property at its value as an historic property of $887,500. A deed has been prepared and is being held by a third party waiting for a buyer to step forward with the agreed amount.

Click here for a PDF flyer of the open house.

January 1, 2010

Ocean City, NJ USLSS For Sale
A SEASHORE LANDMARK’S LAST BEST HOPE

A recent agreement by Saving Our Station (S.O.S.), a southern New Jersey historic-preservation coalition, with Ocean City Life-Saving Station owners Rafaele Pansini and Roger Parkin and with city government, opens up a rare and unparalleled opportunity for a preservation-minded buyer to acquire the station property for $887,500.

“This is a very reasonable price,” says S.O.S. president Charles London. “The Coalition, with the help of our attorney Clem Lisitski, has fought hard for more than a decade to save this incredibly historic landmark on its original site. This agreement is the best chance yet for us to reach that goal.”

The agreement, announced by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Daryl F. Todd on November 4, 2009, results from earlier court mandates requiring the owners of the station property to sell it at a historic-preservation price. Judge Todd’s announcement is responsive to S.O.S. concerns that after those mandates, the owners’ marketing efforts were not active enough and were based on an imprecise appraisal which had resulted in a price over $1,000,000. The $887,500 price was agreed upon because it reflects the appropriate price for this historic property.

“We battled for nearly 12 years to have the station listed at the proper historic-preservation price.” notes S.O.S. president London. “This agreement is a welcome outcome of our struggles. And keep in mind that it was lack of a preservation price which led to a $3.1 million price tag being put on the property when public acquisition of it was considered and defeated.”

The November 4 agreement, in addition to providing for a more active marketing role for S.O.S., also provides for transparency regarding any real-estate transactions involved. The agreement specifies that a prospective buyer present the $887,500 amount through retired judge George T. Seltzer, court-appointed escrow agent and holder of the station property’s deed.

Time is of the essence with this agreement, so S.O.S. is advising prospective buyers to act quickly. The agreement is in effect for six months. If the sale is not finalized by May 14, 2010, the deed reverts to the owners of the property, which could well mean demolition of the life-saving station and its replacement by several condominium units.

“While the November 4 agreement is our best hope so far,” concludes London, “it could be our last hope. We believe, however, that the right preservation buyer will come forward. Not only is the 1885-86 Ocean City Life-Saving Station rich in history, having been U.S. Life-Saving Station #30 for 30 years and U.S. Coast Guard Station #126 for 20 years after that, but it is structurally sound, architecturally distinctive, and visually beautiful. It is located in Ocean City’s historic district and is eligible for listing on national and state historic registers. Depending on the buyer, it may qualify for sources of restoration assistance. All in all, it has tremendous potential for becoming a showplace of the unique seashore heritage of its city, region, state, and nation.”

To find out how you can purchase the Ocean City Life-Saving Station, 4th Street and Atlantic Avenue, Ocean City, NJ, contact Charlie London, (609) 742-1190 soscoalition@aol.com. For legal questions regarding the Station, contact Clem Lisitski, (609) 398-6100. The coalition is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization.
Save Our Station Coalition
P.O.Box 318, Ocean City, NJ 08226

July 16, 2009 Cape Cod Chronicle

Sentinel, Relocated
Old Harbor Station Is Reminder Of Impermanence Of Beach Buildings
by Debra Lawless

The recent demolition of several North Beach camps is a reminder that the beach, and the structures that sit on it, are not permanent. One of the most notable and historic structures to call the barrier beach home, the Old Harbor Lifesaving Station, was fortunate to find a new home once its useful life was over, and a new book by a Chatham native celebrates that life, both in Chatham and beyond....Read More....

Sunday July 12, 2009 The Muskegon Chronicle

Work to begin on walkway focusing on Muskegon's maritime heritage
by Dave Alexander

Thousands of visitors and residents each week walk along the south wall of the Muskegon Channel not aware of the history of the area.

From the modern freighters entering Muskegon Lake, to the two Muskegon lighthouses to the historic U.S. Coast Guard Station, there's plenty to see at the Muskegon Harbor.

And then there is the unseen -- the local history and more than 100 years of federal government development and operations in the harbor area. Read More.....

July 12, 2009 Seacoastonline.com

Students improve life-saving station
Project example of required 'real-world' learning
By Dave Choate

When it came time to put together a study on potential uses for the historic Wood Island Lifesaving Station off the coast of Kittery, Maine, the town turned to a group of students from the University of New Hampshire.

The students developed relatively cost-conscious ways in which the aging station could be improved and ways it could offer easier access for recreational boaters and interested visitors.

Town Councilor Judy Spiller, a UNH associate provost, reached out to the university about the possibility of having students involved in the project, and in May those students presented three potential options to the council. Read More.....