NJ - DEP says Jenkinson's violated state laws by closing access to beach
Jenkinson's has been warned by the state to reopen access to the beach in Point Pleasant Beach after closing all entrance points last week.
The warning was delivered Tuesday afternoon. Inspectors came out to Jenkinson's last Thursday and determined that the closures violated state laws, violated coastal use permits and must be removed.
The entrance points remained closed as of Tuesday afternoon. Some were fenced off or even chained.
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Some people on the boardwalk are welcoming the decision to allow beach access.
"I think people have the right to use the beach whenever they want," said Donna Obsuth, of Point Pleasant. "Personally, I don't think people should be on the beach, but they have that right to use it if they want to."
“I don’t advocate swimming on beaches where no lifeguards are out, that’s dangerous," said Nancy Poplowski, a tourist from New York. "But I think that it should be open."
The letter noted that the inspection found "beach is closed" and "beach entrance closed” signs. The DEP says the permittee may not limit public access to any dry sand area, nor interfere with the public's free use of dry sand for recreational purposes.
