POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ – Governor Phil Murphy has reopened beaches at the Jersey Shore, but Point Pleasant Beach is doing all it can to discourage out of towners from coming. Starting today, beaches open, but you’re going to have a very long walk unless you are a resident. The town is banning parking east of the train tracks, which is essentially a four to five block walk past empty parking spaces on your way to the beach and boardwalk area. This isn’t about the walk. This is about the message. Point Pleasant Beach just doesn’t want you in their town.
“Temporary, State of Emergency parking restrictions will go into effect on May 15th as well. State of Emergency placards have been sent to all homes in Point Pleasant Beach and should arrive by the end of the day this Thursday,” the borough said as it issued its citizenship papers to residents.
“All parking East of the railroad tracks will require an emergency placard to be displayed at all times. 15-minute parking will be allowed if patronizing a business for curbside pickup,” a statement from the police department read. “Contractors, landscapers and delivery drivers will be exempted while actively engaged in work. 2 placards will be issued per household. Residents with driveways are encouraged to utilize those fully. If additional placards are an absolute necessity, you may contact town hall to discuss. We anticipate rolling back the temporary parking restrictions sometime in early to mid-June as we move towards a broader reopening.”
The “Locals Only” parking rules would most definitely fall under Governor Phil Murphy’s definition of discrimination, which he warned against on Thursday.
“To be clear, no one will be discriminated against,” Murphy said. “No community can turn a public beach into a de facto private one. All visitors must have the ability to enjoy our state’s greatest natural resource. Every beach will be required to establish capacity limitations, but we will leave it to local leaders to determine the method that would be best for their community.”
Our advice…just avoid Point Pleasant Beach for the summer…even if there is a complete reopening. If the town doesn’t want out-towners, let them have their own town to themselves all summer long.
