This is the OG North End beach on a sunny June Friday late-afternoon 3 days ago. It looks like a good location for an after hours dog beach. The sign says that those who don’t have a beach pass are subject to arrest and fine. Blogfinger photo.
The CMA is entrusted with managing the beach. The beach actually belongs to the people–it is public open space under the jurisdiction of the NJDEP. Our beach is for the recreation of our citizens. This concept has prevailed back even before the founding of the US.
Perhaps more kindness is in order in making access easier for those who want it as a dog beach or even for those who can’t buy a beach badge.
WOODY GUTHRIE
Counsellor:
Is sarcasm the only arrow in your quiver? Are you that way when you appear before the Zoning Board? If not, then why insult those who read this blog?
Maybe we could actually learn something from you if you spoke directly to the issues. Have a nice day!
Mean High Tide Line ends control for CMA. All those rules about boogie boards? Just suggestions by people with a whistle. Dogs at the water line? Discretion of owner. Want to surf fish? No problem.
Have a nice day.
“Control” over the beach…what a concept. I pay big taxes as a citizen of OG to be “controlled” by ordinances, boundary lines, Sunday observance, and other BS because why? Because I love OG…why else.
Lets face it, OG is a microcosm of our society where everything whittles down to self-interest. Ask the old surfer dude who told me so kindly that the area you reference is for him and his like. I surf, I fish, I own a dog, and I honor people of all religions, races and nationalities.
So I guess I need (or we all) to be controlled because of the few who cannot “control” themselves or their pets. Signs says you (and your dog) cannot come inside….so I run down with my pooch and let her enjoy a great little wading pool by the North Jetty and we leave quick. That is my compromise and my self-interest approach. See you on the beach.
Long Timer: In New Jersey the Beach is held in Trust by the State in perpetuity ( as you mentioned) under the jurisdiction of the DEP. The Beach is Riparian land.Riparian lands are “Land ever washed by the Tide”. You can cover Riparian lands with sand or landfill and it’s still Riparian land. It’s not just the “wet sand area “. In Ocean Grove, the Beach is managed by the OGCMA and not the local Government, Neptune Township.
The DEP has jurisdiction 500 feet in from the “mean high-water line”
The “Public Trust Doctrin” protects the Beach from anyone , including the local government, from taking any of this Riparian land.
Jack: Read either the DEP’s website, or the more definitive “Raleigh Avenue Beach Association v. Atlantis Beach Club, 370 N.J. Super. 171 (App. Div. 2004)”. Which gives the DEP control over tidal access, fees charged by local governments or private entities, and the rules/regulations by which municipalities must abide.
Long Timer: You could not be any more wrong, Period!
Eagle Eye: The space on the beach at the North End O.G.between the casino building in A.P. and the Pavilion Building in O.G. as shown in Blogfinger’s photo was once referred to as the “Black Beach” where people of color were once referred to from both towns when they wanted to use the beach.
The boundary line between the two towns is 35 feet north of the big white pavilion.
There should be a monument at this location to respect and honor all the people that were once discriminated against at the Jersey Shore.
Actually the beach is not under control of the DEP. It is under the control of the local government. it is only the “wet sand area” or those areas of a beach that are subject to regular tidal changes, that are under the control of the DEP. This is the centuries old “Public Trust” Doctrine. It prevents a local government from limiting access to the wet sand areas, but allows them to charge for the cost of maintenance and safety measures.
As the DEP website states (note the words ‘beach’ are not included):
“The environmental health and public accessibility of the ocean, shore and tidal waterways are inextricably tied to New Jersey’s economic health.
Public Trust Doctrine Ensures Access
The public’s right to access tidal waters and their shorelines, embodied in the Public Trust Doctrine, has existed prior to the inception of the State of New Jersey and continues to this day. The Public Trust Doctrine is the principle that certain resources, in this case tidal waters and shorelines, are preserved for public use, and that the government is required to maintain them for the public’s reasonable use.”
The white building is definitely in OG, so the plea for a dog beach would refer to the part of the north end beach which is in Ocean Grove. I don’t know where the exact boundary is, but the photo probably encompasses parts of both towns.
Nice picture but that’s Asbury Park not Ocean Grove
As a dog owner and dog lover, I would be opposed to a dog park. More often than not, they become a maintenance problem despite everyone’s sincere intentions to pitch and and keep it from becoming unsightly.
However, I think a dog beach is a great idea and I would fully support it. Hope it can become a reality.