Camp Zehnder will have a new look this summer

Plans call for new camp buildings, a picnic pavilion, extra parking and other features at the 140-acre Camp Zehnder YMCA.

When Camp Zehnder YMCA opens at the end of June, some happy campers will find a splashy new state-of-the-art aquatic center ready for their use.

Straddling the border of Brick and Wall townships on Herbertsville Road, Camp Zehnder YMCA is undergoing a $2.2 million renovation that includes an eight-lane, 25-yard pool, two slides and a kiddie pool. A number of new camp buildings, a picnic pavilion, landscaping and additional parking are also slated for construction.

The new pool replaces an old indoor pool that hasn’t been used in years, camp officials said. The steel structure that housed the indoor pool will remain and will be used as the framework for the picnic pavilion. A 3,200-square-foot building to house boys and girls locker rooms will serve as the gateway to the new pool area.

Although work on the project began during the last week of February, Camp Zehnder officials said the pool areas should be completed by June 30, in time for camp opening. Some interior work will continue through the end of August.

"We got the approval on a Tuesday morning and the first trucks from Patock Construction rolled onto the property that afternoon," said David Kisselback, vice president of camping services for the Community YMCA. "They were ready to go."

"It will be a hive of activity here," added Ann Ciabattoni, director of communications for the Community YMCA.

The project’s construction is moving along so quickly that Kisselback said he expected about 100 trucks filled with dirt to arrive on March 9 to begin filling the old pool.

The revitalization of Camp Zehnder is being financed through a variety of endowments from foundations and through private donations. Officials said that the Lass Family Foundation, Jules L. Plangere, Jr., Wall, and the OceanFirst Foundation have provided substantial support to the project.

Camp Zehnder has been in operation for over 50 years, operated first by the Shore Area YMCA, Asbury Park, and now as a joint effort by the Community YMCA, Red Bank, and the YMCA of Western Monmouth County, Freehold.

According to Camp Director Bob Lassonde, Camp Zehnder hosts children who have completed kindergarten through the seventh-grade. The camp offers arts and crafts, archery, basketball, boating, nature trails and swimming on its 140-acre grounds.

About 200 children attended the day camp last summer, but camp officials expect to accommodate more at the expanded facility. Rentals of the property for weddings, corporate picnics and family reunions are also expected to increase as a result of the improvements.

"In this day and age, you don’t let a property like this go to waste," Ciabattoni said.

Camp Zehnder will be holding open houses on March 13, April 3 and May 1 from noon to 3 p.m. Those interested in more information can call (732) 836-9177.