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"It was a very sad day," he said. "We had no idea what the future held for any of us. While some people cashed in their chips, I believed that someday we were going to return and rebuild."
Nearly a dozen years later, Parisi moved into his new three-bedroom duplex in the Osborn Dunes at South Mantoloking community. The neighborhood off Route 35 has reopened for some new and returning residents after suffering catastrophic damage from Sandy, developer Walters said in a news release on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
Walters said it has completed almost half of the 67 duplex homes in the complex just north of Normandy Beach.
"We worked closely with each homeowner to manage their individual budgets and made every effort to exceed their expectations with the final product," said Walters sales manager Austin Bocchicchio. "Helping people through the recovery process is not just about rebuilding more sustainable homes; it’s also about fostering community spirit and getting people back to the beach they love."
Hurricane Sandy destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes in New Jersey's most expensive natural disaster, many of which were in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Storm surge and high waves that inundated the Barnegat Peninsula created a temporary inlet in Mantoloking.
Osborn Dunes remained vacant for about a decade after Sandy and an ensuing fire. A condominium association was created in 2021 to help coordinate the community's rebuild.
The developers said each home has been raised above the floodplain to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency guidelines. The two-story duplexes are about 1,033 square feet and can be used year-round.
The former Camp Osborn property was home to bungalows built and owned by residents who leased land from the Osborn family.
"These bungalows were passed down from generation to generation for almost 75 years," the Osborn Dunes website said. "In 1999, the Osborn family offered to sell the individual lots which were previously leased to the residents."
Parisi praised the developers and how they helped restore some of his family's coastal memories.
"Walters has an incredible team that works seamlessly together," said Parisi. "They worked with our board’s architect and did an outstanding job maximizing the space and designing modern homes that satisfied everyone."
The entire Osborn Dunes development is expected to open by Memorial Day weekend in 2025.
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