How Many Self Storage Facilities Are Needed?

Commissioner Vicari Will Not Seek Another Term

By Bob Vosseller OCEAN COUNTY

– He has always taken pride in being the longest serving County Commissioner (formerly, Freeholder) in the state, but all good things come to an end as Joseph Vicari announced that he will not seek re-election in the fall.

Vicari, who is serving as Commissioner Director this year, said in his letter to all Ocean County Department heads that after much soul searching, “I am announcing that I will not seek re-election to the Ocean County Board of Commissioners. After more than 43 years of public service, I have decided to retire and devote more time to my family.” “I am forever thankful to the people of Ocean County, who have seen fit to return me to office time and time again since 1981. Thanks to their enduring support, I will leave office as the longest serving Freeholder/Commissioner (Vicari - See Page 26)

By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – Sev-

eral self storage facilities are currently under construction in the area, joining ones that are already in operation. This begs the question how much demand is there for these

(Storage - See Page 4)

BERKELEY’S TOP FINANCE OFFICIAL RETIRES

By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – Chief Financial Officer

Fred Ebenau, who managed the township’s books through good times and bad, has retired after 40 years in the public sector.

“Fred was an excellent leader in the finance department and an excellent partner to the council,” Mayor Carmen Amato said.

Ebenau came to the township 15 years ago. He saw the township through Superstorm Sandy and its rebuilding, and a clean-up that cost millions. There were also forest fires and the pandemic. But there was also financial security and a balanced budget, Amato said.

“All good things must come to an end,” he said. “He’s entitled to retire after the hard work he’s done for us. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“My 40+ years, I have to honestly say, working with and for Mayor Amato has been terrific,” Ebenau said.

Through the thick and thin, Berkeley has managed to have

Frontrunner Emerges In County Leadership Race

By Bob Vosseller OCEAN COUNTY

low taxes and clean books. He credited the hard work of the finance office team.

Berkeley has the second lowest tax rate in Ocean County, and many credit the know-how of Ebenau and the (Finance - See Page 5)

- With senior Ocean County Board of Commissioners member Joseph Vicari’s recent announcement that he would not be seeking re-election after nearly 40 years of service, candidates are starting to emerge to vie for his spot that will become vacant next year.

Developer and engineer Frank Sadeghi has entered the race for Ocean County Commissioner. He owns and runs multiple businesses in the area, including Morgan Engineering and Arya Properties.

─Photo courtesy Frank Sadeghi

Arya properties is a developer that has made several small neighborhoods throughout the county. It is co-owned by former Toms River (Frontrunner - See Page 6)

DIRECT CREMATION $1995

Includes: arrangement conference, removal from place of death, alternative container Batesville ccbmdfc, transfer to crematory, crematory fee

“We are dedicated to exceeding expectations and delivering a standard of service that is 100% guaranteed.”

Storage establishments?

There’s a proposal to turn the driving range and parking lot area of Blackbeard’s Cave on Route 9 into a public storage facility. The land is 8.71 acres and the facility would be 91,260 square feet. The applicant was Marble Arch Homes of Lakewood, which also constructed the nearby Hickory Farms neighborhood. This is only one plan and it wouldn’t impact the rest of the land that’s currently undeveloped.

When the Blackbeard’s plan was before the Zoning Board, the daughter of one of Blackbeard’s former owners said there were already seven storage facilities in Berkeley, and three in Lacey, and 19 in Toms River. She didn’t see the need for more.

There are several on Route 37, and another large one is being built on the westbound side near the Wawa at Northampton Boulevard. Although these are in Toms River, they most likely serve the senior communities of Berkeley and Manchester.

Many offer military discounts, which shows that they cater to soldiers living at the base.

An industry publication, Storable, suggests that businesses looking to open a facility should take a look at car traffic at a location, expected residential development in the area, and current population (anywhere from about 20,000 people in a rural setting to 100,000 or more in an urban setting, as a general guideline).

Census figures in 2021 show almost 650,000 residents in Ocean County. Toms River has about 100,000. Manchester and Berkeley both have about 45,000. Residential development has been increasing throughout the county.

According to SpareFoot Storage Beat, a website that regularly collects statistics, storage facilities are a $29 billion annual industry. There are more than 51,200 facilities nationwide amounting to more than 2 billion square feet. Six large companies (Public Storage, Extra Space Storage, CubeSmart, Life Storage, National Storage Affiliates Trust, and U-Haul) own a third of them. An interesting detail is that when considering the U.S. population of 330 million, there is roughly 6 square feet of storage available per person.

Of all households in the country, 11.1% rent a storage space, they said.

Profitable Business

According to Storable’s records, the typical profit margin of a self storage facility is 11%, compared to a restaurant that’s 3-5%.

They also said that the business is fairly resistant to recession. Personnel is often one of the most expensive parts of running a business, and the number of employees needed per square foot is much less than a store of the same size. Additionally, the overhead is less because unlike a retail establishment, they are not buying products, shipping them in, and selling them. All the items inside the facilities are brought there by customers.

For decades, towns have wanted big box stores in town. They are a profitable business that the town can charge property tax on – which in turn lowers the taxes for residents. However, since the rise of Amazon, big box stores are closing down, leaving empty shells behind. Towns are looking for a business they can tax and a storage facility doesn’t drain resources very much. Without big box stores to anchor a town’s property taxes, they look to other large buildings to take up space on highways. This is one reason warehouses have become so prevalent lately as well.

InsideSelfStorage.com goes into length describing how owners can argue ways to bring their property assessments down and pay less property taxes.

Retail Insider said “Players like Amazon are cleaning up in the retail world as online shopping has become consumers’ preferred way to shop. The draw in filling virtual baskets can be attributed to: convenience, ease of purchase, competitive pricing and a wider range of products.”

However, people still need items. So, perhaps they buy them online. And, if they don’t have enough room for everything they buy, they can rent a storage unit.

Finance:

Continued From Page 1 finance department.

Amato noted that Manchester has a lower tax rate, but it’s because the gated communities have to pay for their own garbage and road maintenance. The average Berkeley homeowner pays less than half the state average. The township’s bond rating is AAfrom Standard and Poor’s, and they’re working toward a AAA. The bond rating is essentially like a credit score for a town. All of these high marks show that the town is doing what they should do for residents.

Councilman Angelo Guadagno shared a personal story. His father passed away and his wake was on a holiday. Something happened and the pastor wasn’t able to make it. Ebenau is a pastor in Toms River. Guadagno called Ebenau with only hours to spare and he came out to perform the services.

Council President John Bacchione, chair of the council’s finance committee, said “I really learned a lot from you. We will take that knowledge with us.”

Councilman Keith Buscio noted he’s always been professional and very knowledgeable.

Councilman Michael Signorile thanked him for “putting up with us and teaching us.”

“In my three years (on the council) I’ve learned quite a bit about the finances of the township,” he said.

Councilwoman Sophia Gingrich said she’s been on the council for nine years and found working with him fantastic.

“You knew everything was good after meeting. We know everything was spot on,” she said.

Councilman Thomas Grosse said he’s always been a gentleman and a great family man. “He always has the answer to your question and then some,” he said. “He’s such a wealth of knowledge. It won’t be the same without you.”

Ocean Gate Mayor Robert Curtin spoke at the Berkeley meeting, saying