Eatontown could clear way to fill Old Orchard golf course with homes, stores

EATONTOWN - Old Orchard Country Club has been around for 94 years. It might not make it to 100.

In less than two weeks, the Borough Council will vote to adopt a new zone, called the Old Orchard Mixed-Use zone, which could speed along the development of houses on the golf course.

At the same time, the zone requires large buffer zones and protects some residential streets from being opened up.

The borough decided to have the Planning Board draft the zone after a real estate developer expressed interest in buying the 60-acre property and building an age-restricted community with a commercial footprint on Route 36.

Stores in Eatontown and Holmdel: As Amazon Fresh stores get a facelift nationally, what is the latest on Shore locations?

Last week, borough officials said Surrey Equities, a real estate investment and management firm with a location in the borough, is the potential purchaser of the course. The firm declined to comment for this story.

Old Orchard's ownership could not be reached for comment.

'The buffer has to be substantial'

While single-family homes are already a permitted use on the property, commercial uses were not. The rezoning was mostly done to get 100-foot buffer zones between the new development and homes that border the greens, should the developer's plan get that far, Mayor Anthony Talerico Jr. said. At the same time, the new zone allows for commercial development along Route 36.

"We pushed for 100-feet buffers. It's what we're talking about the most. The buffer has to be substantial," Talerico said.

The borough has opted to negotiate with the developer before a final site plan is submitted for approval in order to get agreements on the buffer and keep certain residential roads such as Reynolds and Redfern from being opened to the development.

The developer did have the option of submitting its plan for 145 single-family homes with substantially smaller buffer zones to Zoning Board. But then developer would have to convince the board to grant it permission for the commercial development it wants on Route 36. However, that plan seems moot now with the Old Orchard Mix-Use zone up for a vote on Aug. 23.

More in Eatontown: Kushner will drop Monmouth Mall tax appeal if borough OKs tax break

Ten years ago a prior developer failed to buy the course due to the fact that commercial uses on the property's Route 36 border were not allowed. Many residents pushed back on the commercial aspect of that plan. The developer sued the borough for $50 million, but eventually decided to walk away from the course and dropped the case.

This time around, there has been less opposition, or at least not much has been expressed publicly at council meetings. Talerico said one resident has hired an attorney.

'Good opportunity for us to negotiate'

"My mom used to fight the fight. At some point we have to be reasonable in that unfortunately golf courses are dying. This is a good opportunity for us to negotiate for what we want," said Kara Kopach, whose house on Redfern Way has been in her family for 51 years. Kopach is also the executive director of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority.

Old Orchard is an 18-hole golf course on 136 acres that was designed by famed architect A.W. Tillinghast and opened in 1929. The course was built on an apple orchard and Babe Ruth once hit the links there. Some of the namesake trees still stand.

Lights, camera, action! How your neighborhood haunts in Eatontown might soon be showing up on TV and movie screens

Robert Tungrian's home on Stirrup Lane backs up to the course's 10th hole, a cherished view of his and one he wants to keep.

"I've been there 30 years. I put my blood, sweat and tears into my home. I think my house value is going to go down because I'm losing that view, that million-dollar view," Tungrian said.

When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Eatontown Old Orchard golf course could get homes, stores with vote