Politics & Government

Belmar Beaches Prepped for Summer

Mayor touts beaches at press event

Belmar's beaches are ready for summer.

At a press event held Wednesday on the Belmar boardwalk, Mayor Matt Doherty outlined touted everything great about the borough's beaches, just in time for the unofficial start of the summer season— Memorial Day Weekend.

Doherty spoke to members of the media, explaining why he feels Belmar is the premiere destination for families looking for fun at the Jersey Shore.

Find out what's happening in Manasquan-Belmarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We're excited about the summer season here in Belmar," he said.

A prime example— the borough has recently withdrawn a longstanding ordinance which prohibited the building of sandcastles on Belmar beaches. The antiquated law carried a fine of $25, though no one at the borough could recall a time when it was enforced. In fact, Belmar is the host of the annual New Jersey Sand Castle Competition.

Find out what's happening in Manasquan-Belmarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"For over 20 years it had been illegal to construct a sand castle on the beach," he said. "That law is about as ridiculous as it sounds."

The borough will also roll out the welcome mat to those who risk their lives for the greater good.

All active military personnel and their families will be welcomed on the borough's beaches free of charge. In addition, this year will mark the first that Belmar offers free beach access to its volunteer firefighters and first aid squad members.

Belmar also boasts some of the most handicapped accessible beaches in New Jersey.

"We've increased our number of ADA accessible areas," Doherty said. "We have six of them now on the beach, which allows people with limited mobility and disabilities to access the beach just like everyone else."

Ramps will make it easier for those confined to wheelchairs to reach the sand from the boardwalk. Once there, rollable mats which can accommodate wheelchairs extend onto the sand.

"But the people who seem to take advantage of it the most really are families," Doherty said. "People with strollers, wagons and all of the other items that you need to bring when you bring kids to the beach."

A daily beach badge for an adult in Belmar will be $7 and children 15 years and young are free.

"A family of four can come to the Belmar beach for only $14 a day," Doherty said. "They're allowed to bring their own food, their own coolers, so it's less expensive than say going to the movies."

Belmar will play host to a number of large events this summer including the 25th Annual New Jersey Seafood Festival, which will be highlighted in the next issue of Parade Magazine, Sunday night movies at the beach, Friday night concerts in Pyanoe Plaza in the borough's downtown and The Belmar Five road race.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here