Fair Beach Access in Deal, NJ

The Surfrider Foundation’s volunteer-led Jersey Shore Chapter has a long history of battling the borough of Deal, NJ, over beach access. It seems Deal always has a new idea for how to reduce the public’s right to enjoy the beach.

The latest chapter popped up on October 1st, when the Deal Mayor and Commissioners introduced (and passed through “first reader”), Ordinance 2025-28 , which would change their summer season beach pass to $150 for residents and $200 for nonresidents. 

Besides being exorbitantly expensive (that would be $800 for a nonresident family of four!), New Jersey law clearly states that municipalities cannot charge different rates for residents vs. nonresidents. In the 1972 Neptune City versus Avon-by-the-Sea state Supreme Court decision, the Court said in part, “... while municipalities may validly charge reasonable fees for the use of their beaches, they may not discriminate in any respect between their residents and non-residents." 

The Jersey Shore Chapter got wind of this change in early November, and swooped into action. Executive Committee member Don Greenberg added information to the beach access focused COBRA Facebook group, and spoke with the Deal clerk to hear what the next steps for Ordinance 28 would be. Don then showed up to the Deal public hearing on December 5th, and testified in front of the Commissioners.

Ex Surfrider Board Member and long-time volunteer Bill Rosenblatt spoke with the media in November and was quoted in this article. The NJDEP then proceeded to send a letter to Deal (still looking for a copy) about this ordinance.

On (TBD!), the Borough amended the ordinance to make the prices equal for residents and nonresidents. There is still the issue of the high prices, but that is a battle for another day. The Chapter has been urging the NJDEP to look into high prices for beach badges up and down the NJ coast, and is supporting a state level bill to require public financial reporting on beach badge revenues and beach maintenance costs.

Our Jersey Shore Chapter will continue to monitor local municipalities for beach access transgressions--join us and become a member today!