The Oceanport Borough Council decided Thursday to apply for a $155,000 grant to upgrade to make it accessible to people with disabilities.
The building was built in 1965, long before the Americans with Disabilities Act mandating such accessibility was enacted, Borough Engineer Bill White noted.
The configuration of steps going up and down inside the lobby, which would be difficult to negotiate for someone in a wheelchair, is one of the things that would be corrected if the borough gets the grant and decides to go ahead with the work. The bathrooms would also be modified.
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What percentage of the cost of the project the borough might get from the Community Development Block Grant program, if any, will not be known until the application is reviewed, said Borough Clerk Kimberly A. Jungfer.
Councilman expressed reservations about the project, given the age of Borough Hall and the possibility that the borough might be able to use a building at Fort Monmouth as a new borough hall, if it gets a suitable site when the fort closes in September.
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"It's like putting makeup on a pig," Irace said with a smile.
Applying for the grant does not obligate the borough to go ahead with the project, White said. Once the council finds out how much money is available, it can review its options at that point, Mayor Michael J. Mahon said.
The council decided to apply.
