Friday, March 15, 2013
Toms River beaches are in no condition for the four wheel drive vehicles this year, council said
Citing poor conditions following Superstorm Sandy and continued reconstruction efforts, Toms River will not permit buggies to operate on township beaches through 2013. The Township Council passed a resolution this week suspending the issuance of permits for the four-wheel drive vehicles through Dec. 31 of this year. Permits are issued on an annual basis, meaning no one will be able to operate a buggy on the beach during that time. "We believe that we should suspend the use of beach buggies on township beaches this year because there is simply not enough land or sand for them to drive on," said council President George Wittmann. "For what little sand is left, we want to ensure that it's not damaged." About 300 letters to 2012 permit …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
DEP holds public hearing in Long Branch
A large group of citizens and groups gathered at Long Branch City Hall on Wednesday night to criticize the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) proposed public access rules and amendments for beaches, bays and other waterways. The DEP held the meeting to hear public comments on the public access rules and the amendments which were drafted after hearing feedback from the public in the past. According to the DEP, the proposed amendments will: Most spoke against the rules and the amendments stating that while the amendments were a step in the right direction, that they will not help create more public access areas for residents and that it they will give too much power to municipalities. The rules, if adopted, would give towns …
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Several groups plan to protest the DEP's plans for beach access
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is holding a public hearing on Wednesday night in Long Branch to discuss proposed amendments to public access rules for beaches, bays and other waterways. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Long Branch Council Chambers, at Long Branch City Hall, 344 Broadway. "Wednesday’s hearings will focus only on amendments to the Public Access rule that the DEP proposed earlier this year in response to public comments on the initial public access rule proposal," a DEP release states. According to the DEP, the proposed amendments will: DEP states that the public access rule will "improve and enhance public access to New Jersey’s beaches, bays and waterways through plans to be developed and …
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Christie signs bill amending beach tag law, but local communities must give their own OKs
With local permission, members of the military and their spouses and children may now access New Jersey beaches for free or at a reduced price. Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday signed into law a bill sponsored by a group of Ocean County legislators that amends a state law on the books since 1955 that allows municipalities to except certain groups of people from having to pay to access beaches. Previously, the state law allowed individual towns to let persons older than 65 or younger than 12, and those with certain disabilities, to receive beach badge discounts or free access to paid beaches. But many coastal municipalities from Sandy Hook to Cape May also sought to allow members of the armed forces and their families a similar exception. The…
Friday, June 3, 2011
Meeting on LBI shows where lines are drawn in ongoing debate
Those who came out for and against proposed changes to New Jersey's waterfront public access laws found some common ground at a final public hearing on the issue on Thursday night, but strong opinions from those on both sides of the debate let it be known where the lines were drawn in the sand. The debate has been roaring for some time and, most recently, at public hearings held by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The uproar is over the state's policies toward allowing public access to waterfront areas. The rules would change the type of access private business owners would have to provide the general public, and also put access plans in the hands of individual municipalities rather than a single plan for the entire state…
Monday, May 23, 2011
Beach access issue proves complex at publc hearing on rule changes
Local officials appeared in Seaside Heights Monday to show their support for waterfront-access rule changes proposed by the state Department of Environmental Protection under the Christie administration. Although critics say the rules would restrict access to local beaches, Brick Mayor Steve Acropolis and others believe the changes ultimately give them more input into the access planning process. "I would much rather do it at our level," he said. "We are best able to identify the areas where public access would be appropriate." A crowd of nearly 60 people, representing various stakeholders in the beach access fight, gathered in the municipal courtroom in Seaside Heights to voice their criticism or support of the state's proposal. In a …
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The state may give towns more freedom to restrict beach access
Jersey Shore beach access advocates are concerned that new state rules may make it easier for towns to limit access, even if they are using public funds to replenish their beaches. Advocates from the Surfrider Foundation, Citizens' Right to Access Beaches (CRAB), the American Littoral Society (ALS) and the New York-New Jersey Baykeeper held a press conference on Wednesday to let the public know it might get more complicated for them to go to the beach. The state Department of Environmental Protection first proposed the new rules last summer and may publish a revised version as early as next month. The organizations' representatives, who talked to reporters at the Bare Wires Surf Shop, 22 Atlantic Ave., Long Branch, said they have not seen …
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Group also recognized for fighting pollution, and doing dune grass planting and beach cleanups
Fighting for greater beach access all over the Jersey Shore, battling ocean and bay pollution, planting dune grass and providing free beach wheelchairs are just a few of the things CRAB was honored for by the Point Pleasant Beach Mayor and Council. Citizens' Right to Access Beaches (CRAB) received a Mayor's Proclamation at Tuesday night's Point Pleasant Beach council meeting. Councilwoman Kristine Tooker read and presented the proclamation, saying it was "overdue." "You've done so much and we never thanked you," Tooker said. "I'm sorry we didn't give you this a lot sooner." A small group of members of the all-volunteer organization were there to receive the plaque including Fay Jaworovich, the wife of the late Nick Jaworovich, one of the …
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1:37 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Nobody has said that they, as individuals, haven't helped already. He's simply offering to help as a group. Get it? So cynical you are. more ›