TRENTON, NJ – Ocean Grove has been issued a Notice of Violation by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) due to the town’s practice of temporarily shutting its beach on select Sundays each season.
The notice, which was emailed to Steve Columbo, Director of Operations for the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association allows a 10-day window for Ocean Grove to respond.
It also advises the association to enter talks with the Bureau of Coastal and Land Use Compliance & Enforcement to rectify the situation.
This legal action follows a warning letter sent to the town on August 10, flagging its non-adherence to state laws.
Yesterday, Point Pleasant Beach operator Jenkinson’s was also cited by the state for closing beach access through the off-season.
Beaches in Ocean Grove are open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, the beaches don’t open until 12 noon.
Ocean Grove is a historically religious town founded in 1869 by Reverend W.B. Osborn and other Methodist ministers to establish a retreat at the Jersey Shore.