Mayor Gillian Lays The Smack Down on Rowdy Teens
🎡 Ocean City, NJ's only weekly newsletter
Kyle Scott
June 02, 2023
the Mayor is not messing around
Ahoy! Soooooo, did anything noteworthy happen this week in Ocean City?
We have all the details on the new curfews and bans, broken out so you can digest it quickly.
Before we get to that, anyone else see this bad boy - our Walking The Boards banner plane - flying over the beach on Monday?
To be honest, the weather wasn’t great on Monday and it flew a little late. But Walking The Boards will be flying the beaches all summer long, so keep an eye out.
In the email today:
📆 Upcoming events
🚫 Curfews and backpack bans
🚴 E-bikes next?
🐋 Windmill update
🔗 News links
🦈 Shark!
🪸 Jellyfish!
👚 New store alert
🏠 Real estate update
👶 Kids corner: an ode to Dockside lobster mac and cheese
🍩 5 great donut options
🌊 Weather and tides
💸 Our Sponsor This Week: Berger Realty 17th Street Office
Berger is THE destination for sales and rentals in Ocean City.
Rentals are booking like crazy and the inventory is getting slim. Year after year bookings start earlier and earlier. Companies island-wide are getting inventory from owners who are deciding to rent out some last-minute weeks. It’s good to have an agent on the watch for you when a property pops up that fits your needs. The good ones don’t last for more than a few minutes!
Want someone on the lookout for you? Call 609-391-0500 or email Kevin M. Laskowski at [email protected].
Berger Realty, 1670 Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ 08226
📆 Upcoming Events in (and around) Ocean City
June 2-4
Flower Show
When: Friday 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
Where: Music Pier
Description: See beautiful commercial, amateur and children’s displays at the Music Pier.
June 3
Beach Patrol Tryouts
When: 9:00 a.m.
Where: 18th Street Beach
Description: Come watch the tryouts for the 125th class.
June 4
Mock Rescue
When: 10:30 a.m.
Where: 9th Street Beach
Description: OCBP performs a mock rescue.
Le Tour De Downbeach (Margate)
When: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Where: Ends at Tomatoe’s in Maragate.
Description: The day concludes with a delicious barbecue at Tomatoe’s Restaurant with free water ice provided by Margate Dairy Bar and Burger. Pre-registration cost is $25 per rider or $20 each for four or more family riders. Day of ride registration is $30 per rider or $25 each for four or more family riders. Get more info here.
Other events to look forward to: Health and Fitness Expo (June 17)
🤳 News Bits
Curfews and Backpack Bans 🚫
We have all the details in a longer post here, but here are the major points of the new curfews and backpack bans:
Beaches will close at 8:00 p.m. and Boardwalk bathrooms will close at 10:00 pm for all.
The Curfew
Any individual under 18, between 11:00 p.m. and 6 a.m., is not allowed to:
be in public street or place
to remain in a motor vehicle (operating or parked) in a public place
remain on the premises of an establishment
Parents, guardians and caretakers, including owners and drivers of vehicles, and owners and employees of businesses, who knowingly allow the kids to break these rules are also liable
The Penalties
First step is two curbside warnings, where the officer will collect name and explanation from the offender and tell them to go home
After the second warning, the offender is taken in for a stationhouse adjustment and their parents or guardians are called
No summons or juvenile delinquency is issued
If the parent or guardian violated any part of this section, they will be fined under the following schedule:
First penalty: $250-$500
Second penalty within one year: $500-$1,000
Third penalty within one year of two or more more violations: $1,000-$1,500
Adults can be guilty for separate offenses
Exceptions
Accompanied by an adult
Traveling to or from work, or working
On a nearby neighbor’s sidewalk or premises until that neighbor chooses to complain about the juvenile’s presence past curfew
Emergency situations
Sanctioned recreational activities
Errand at parent’s discretion
Interstate travel (such as arriving in town at 11:30 p.m. on a Friday night)
Juvenile is exercising their first amendment right to assemble— but their parent or guardian must notify police 24 hours in advance and comply with all New Jersey regulations
The Backpack Ban
This applies to all persons (adults and teens):
All bags larger than 8 × 6 × 8 are prohibited on the Boardwalk, beach, and beach end streets between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m. May 15 through September 15
Includes backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, coolers, briefcases, luggage of any kid, computer bags, or any bag large than the permissible size
Can’t be carried, worn, placed in or on any of these locations
Exceptions will include medical devices, broadcasting equipment (gotta get that 6 ABC live shot at the Music Pier), police officers, and active fishing on the beach.
Penalties are relatively minor here: Two warnings will be given where feasible (unless you are carrying something truly terrible), but they include signs and announcements. You will be asked to leave the beach or boardwalk. Failure to comply will result in a “Breach of Peace” with the fines as follows:
First offense, $25-$50
Second offense within one year: $35-$65
Third offense within one year of two or more offenses: $50-$100
Juveniles will get two curbside warnings and the opportunity to remove or get rid of the item, and then the stationhouse adjustment process if they don’t comply.
E-Bike Ban Next? 🚴
Mayor Gillian has gone into full YOLO mode— taking on Big Wind, rowdy teens, and now e-bikers, with mic drop moments like this one at his press conference on Thursday announcing the new curfew rules:
Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian addresses new measures being taken after issues with teens over MDW. “All of us need to look in the mirror and take responsibility.” @6abc
— Trish Hartman (@TrishHartman)
Jun 1, 2023
“At our next council meeting on June 8, I’ll also be recommending an ordinance that will ban e-bikes from riding on Boardwalk”
Looks like Gillian is using Steve Jobs’ one more thing tactic to drop big news at the end of an event.
And then he headed off to Wonder Bear’s birthday party at his amusement park… presumably on foot, sans backpack.
Windmill Updates 🐋
From OC Facebook page
Another day, another update.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities denied Ocean City’s request to prevent Orsted from burying its transmission line from offshore wind turbines under 35th Street Beach and through the city to the Beesley’s power plant.
“The Board finds that Ocean City has not met its burden of proving, by clear and convincing evidence, that injunctive relief is necessary to prevent irreparable harm,” the ruling said.
Previously: Orsted sued Ocean City for failing to issue timely permits for them to begin the work this fall.
May or may not be related: Five dolphins wash up dead in Delaware
News Links 🔗
🦈 Shark!
522 pound female juvenile Great White Shark Penny pinged just off the coast of Ocean City at 6:48 a.m. on Memorial Day.
To her credit, she waited until after the curfew was up to come out. She was not wearing a backpack.
Follow Penny’s track here.
🪸 Jellyfish!
Oh cool, clingy jellyfish that can temporarily paralyze you have returned to New Jersey:
The tiny jellyfish with the violent sting, the clinging jellyfish, has returned to New Jersey farther south than ever.
…
The sting causes pain and muscles to tense up "like a giant Charlie horse and creates incredible pain," Bologna said, adding it's different than a regular jellyfish sting.
If you do get stung by a clinging jellyfish what should you do? Prescription painkillers will help.
"A lot of times they provide pain painkillers in order for you to kind of work through as the toxin kind of get through your system. It often times a couple of days to kind of work through. So people are a lot of pain. So normally, it's a short-term prescription for various painkillers," Bologna said.
They will leave once the water warms up. But until then, perhaps a wetsuit… or maybe yoga pants?
👚 New Store Alert
A friend of the newsletter has opened Obsessive! Sports in Staintons on 8th and Asbury.
How they describe themselves: Obsessive Sports is your one-stop-shop for all things Pickleball, Tennis, and Golf! From apparel, accessories, and gifts, they have everything you need to play and look your best. You can find Obsessive Sports located inside Staintons at 810 Asbury Ave.
Perfect. Gonna need to load up for my newfound Tennis game.
🏠 Real Estate Update
Did you know Walking The Boards has a newsletter dedicated to Ocean City Real Estate?
Next week, we will have our Ocean City May Market Report. If you would like to opt-in, just click the subscribe button right here:
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Avalon Real Estate Market Is Bananas 🍌
The Philly Business Journal had an excellent article on the smoking hot Avalon and Stone Harbor real estate markets (Ocean City’s may actually be hotter, by the way). It’s behind a paywall, but here’s one very interesting reason for why things are so crazy there:
There’s another regulation that has driven new construction in the two towns. The Federal Emergency Management Association mandates that if a renovation to a home exceeds 50% of the structure’s assessed value, the property must be lifted to meet new flood regulations. In Stone Harbor, legislation was adopted in 2017 that made the “50% rule” a “40% rule,” meaning any renovations that cost more than 40% of the assessed value of the home — not the land — requires bringing the property up to flood code.
Values of homes, especially cottages, are rather insignificant compared to the value the land holds. One cottage currently for sale on 7th Street in Avalon has an assessed value of $17,500, while the land is assessed at $842,500, according to property records.
Meaning that even relatively modest upgrades can force homeowners into insanely expensive renovations to raise the home.
Seaspray Condos Are No Longer Red Tagged 🏢
We told you previously that the Seaspray Condos on 34th Street had been red tagged.
Well, they’ve been, um, un-red-tagged.
From the Press of Atlantic City:
“Our construction official received an updated engineer’s report on the condition of the Seaspray Condominiums at 34th Street and Bay Avenue, and has removed the red tags that prevented owners from occupying their homes,” Mayor Jay Gillian said at a recent City Council meeting. “The new report indicates that the structure is safe to live in, that at least in the short term our construction official agrees.”
Some had felt that condemning the building was a tactic by one owner to compel holdouts to sell their unit and ergo the building to a developer.
Cell Phone Towers Seem Likely To Be Approved For Compass Building on 33rd and Haven 📲
We told you previously about some consternation over Verizon’s proposal to install 5G cell phone towers atop the building owned by noted local developer Eustace Mita. The pushback actually led to the city declaring that all future towers will go only on city-owned property or existing utility poles.
But that ruling didn’t apply to this application, which was awaiting an independent review about the potential harmful effects of the towers being that close to the ground.
It looks like a decision will be made at a June 14 planning board meeting, and judging by the conclusion from the report, released yesterday, it seems likely to get approved. The independent engineer determined that, with one minor exception related to disclosure for utility workers, there was no risk to the public.
Agent Hot Takes on New Listings 🔥
Read all of our takes on the latest new listings over at our new work-in-progress real estate site ShoreCribs.com.
👶 Kids Corner: An Ode To Dockside Lobster Mac and Cheese
I’ve tasked the Little Squirts with helping subscribers see the island through their eyes, so that the parents of other kids who read this newsletter can find some kid-friendly activities and fare.
Today, the Lobster Mac and Cheese at Dockside Kitchen gets a thumb way, way up, like, super high!
You’ll need a Dinner Club membership ($250 for the summer for the family), but doing so allows you to bring alcohol to the club, making this one of the only places on the island you can effectively byo.
The kids menu features both the standard and lobster Mac and Cheese. Little Squirt is super discerning with his Mac and Cheese (don’t ask him about Steve and Cookie’s poor effort), and he’s glad to report Dockside’s is hot, fresh, and cheesey. If you go with the lobster version, they don’t skimp on it.
They’re also compiling summer-long rankings of cheeseburgers, Mac and Cheese, and clam dishes at the Shore.
🍩 5 Great Donut Options
Today is National Donut Day. For my money, Ocean City may be the greatest donut city on the planet using my patented Donut-To-Mile (DTM) ratio.
Here are 5 great options our team loves, in no particular order:
1) Browns
Simple. Classic. I grew up vacationing in the middle of the city (31st Street) and never really experienced Browns’ hot, fresh and delicious donuts. Now, I live within walking distance and can’t get enough.
My money is on vanilla.
The only knock is the wait (can be 45 minutes or longer) and that the donuts lose a little of the wow factor more quickly than others.
2) Fractured Prune
Let’s get nutty!
From one end of the spectrum with the simplicity of Browns to the complete other end with Fractured Prune.
3) Dot’s
Jelly donuts can be boring. And then you try Dots’ and you remember the pure bliss that can come with a well-made, fresh JD.
4) Nauti Donuts
From the family who brings you Uncles Bill’s comes the Mermaid’s Delight:
5) Cathy’s 14th Street Bakery
From our co-founder Mike: “Cathy makes donuts every morning. She sells out quick. Literally a line every morning. I s**t you not. “
What is your favorite place for donuts?Choose one: |
🌊 Weather and Tides
As always, we recommend getting up-to-date forecasts from THE GOAT of South Jersey weather, NorEaster Nick, directly on his Facebook page.
Tides (9th Street):
Friday (6/2)
Low: 1:13 AM
High: 7:02 AM
Low: 1:04 PM
High: 7:29 PM
Saturday (6/3)
Low: 2:01 AM
High: 7:48 AM
Low: 1:48 PM
High: 8:13 PM
Sunday (6/4)
Low: 2:49 AM
High: 8:36 AM
Low: 2:35 PM
High: 8:59 PM
Monday (6/5)
Low: 3:39 AM
High: 9:25 AM
Low: 3:24 PM
High: 9:48 PM
Tuesday (6/6)
Low: 4:30 AM
High: 10:17 AM
Low: 4:16 PM
High: 10:39 PM
Wednesday (6/7)
Low: 5:23 AM
High: 11:13 AM
Low: 5:13 PM
High: 11:34 PM
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