Highlands Borough Council votes to remove 200-ton structure built without required DEP permits. Watch video
BOROUGH OF HIGHLANDS -- It looks like "Shorehenge" may go the way of the dinosaurs.
The hulking monument to Hurricane Sandy survivors derided by critics and cited by state officials as illegal is now slated for removal after the borough council approved a resolution calling for its removal, according to the borough deputy clerk.
Shorehenge: A Jersey Shore town's 200-ton white elephant
Erected on a public beach last fall, the 200-ton structure was cited in December by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection for lacking necessary coastal development permits.
It also faced a wave of criticism from residents who said it blocked views of Sandy Hook Bay and was out of character for the town.
The resolution, approved by the a 3-2 council vote, cites a poll of residents in which most favored removing the monument. The resolution approves its removal and allows the borough administrator to seek any approvals required for the demolition.
Mockingly dubbed "Shorehenge" for its resemblance to England's Stonehenge, the pavilion was designed by Tod Williams-Billie Tsien Architects, a Manhattan firm that has designed museums and other buildings.
Despite the resolution, the debate appears far from over. On the town's unofficial Facebook page, some residents continue to argue that it would now be a waste of taxpayer dollars to remove the monument.
Others decry that while it was built with too little community input the vote to remove it was sprung upon the community.
It was erected for free in October by The Tilt-Up Concrete Association of Mount Vernon, Ia., a nonprofit trade group that promotes a method of on-site concrete casting.
A local contractor, Alston Construction of Edison, donated the labor.
Builders thought they had all the approvals they needed. The Borough Council had passed a resolution accepting the offer of a free pavilion from Tilt-Up nine months earlier, with borough building officials later issuing permits.
But the massive size and appearance of the monument caught residents -- and even borough officials -- by surprise.
And in December, the NJDEP ruled it had been built without permits required under the Coastal Area Facilities Review Act (CAFRA).
Brian Donohue may be reached at bdonohue@njadvancemedia.com Follow him on Twitter @briandonohue. Find NJ.com on Facebook.