Camelot at LaMer sits just south of Ernston Road in Parlin — Courtesy: Kaplan Cos.
By Joshua Burd
A sprawling residential development in Sayreville has entered its final stages after 35 years with the completion of 102 rental homes overlooking Cheesequake Park.
Its developer, Kaplan Cos., said the new townhouse-style units off Ernston Road are the last of more than 1,500 dwellings at La Mer, which occupies 100 acres in the borough’s Parlin section. It’s now marketing the collection of three-story units with a mix of two- and three-bedroom floorplans, known as Camelot at La Mer, where monthly rents begin at just over $3,000.
“Camelot at La Mer is the perfect visual explanation of how far La Mer has evolved since the 1980s,” said Jason Kaplan, president of the Highland Park-based firm. “La Mer was originally constructed to offer quality, reliable housing to address the swell in population. It has become the easy and affordable solution for new residents, close to all commuting corridors, mass transit and the Jersey Shore.
“As La Mer steadily developed over the years, it evolved into the ‘place to be’ in Parlin,” he added. “The preferences of homebuyers and renters drastically changed, and we responded. Camelot at La Mer now features all the latest amenities that renters expect, with all the quality finishes and energy efficiency. It really shows the amazing transformation of this housing development, as well as the Sayreville community as a whole.”
In a news release, Kaplan noted that La Mer began as a small townhouse community in the 1980s that would capitalize on its location near Cheesequake Park. Developing the site came with challenges, as the tract contained wetlands and was a depot for sand that had been stripped away to build an extension of the New Jersey Turnpike in the 1970s.
The developer would spend the next 35 years building more than 1,500 units of single-family homes, townhouses and condos. Its final phase is the only section of La Mer that offers three-bedroom units, Kaplan said, while noting that it reflects the national “build to rent” trend of offering for-rent townhomes with for-sale design elements such as white kitchen cabinets with matte black finishes, plank flooring in the main living areas and recessed lighting.
“For example, each unit has direct access to its own connected garage, so it has more of feel of being in a home, as opposed to a rental,” Kaplan said. “Through this popular ‘build to rent’ product, we already see Camelot at La Mer residents display enormous pride in their homes, which we believe creates longer-term tenants and a stronger sense of community.”
Residents of Camelot at LaMer have access to the Cheesequake River, along with amenities such as clubhouses with pools, tot lots, fire pits, fitness rooms and barbecues. They also are minutes from the Garden State Parkway, routes 9 and 35, the Old Bridge park-and-ride and the NJ Transit stop in nearby South Amboy.
“La Mer is a signature Kaplan development,” Kaplan said. “It really shows the legacy of our company and how far it has evolved in Sayreville. We describe it as a carefully curated laboratory of housing styles, from townhomes to single-family homes to condominiums. La Mer doesn’t look monotonous when you drive through it. There’s lot of innovative designs that we’ve been able to capture from other parts of the country.
“We’re very proud of what we have been able to create for the Sayreville community as it prepares for the next generation.”
