Belmar adopts stricter Smoking Restrictions on Beach

Belmar’s Mayor and Council voted unanimously on May 27, 2009 to tighten Belmar’s restrictions against smoking on Belmar’s boardwalk and beaches.

The new restrictions reduce the size of the designated smoking areas on Belmar’s beaches to areas that will be at least 20-by-30-feet in size, and somewhat larger on Belmar’s busier beaches. These designated smoking areas, an example of which is pictured above, will be provided on beaches at Second Avenue, Third Avenue, Fourth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Eighth Avenue, Ninth Avenue, Eleventh Avenue, Thirteenth Avenue, Fourteenth Avenue, Fifteenth Avenue, Seventeenth Avenue, Eighteenth Avenue and Twentieth Avenue. These are the same locations where smoking was previously permitted, only smaller in size and are located close to the boardwalk. The smaller designated smoking areas are designed to make the restrictions easier to enforce, and to reduce the amount of cigarette litter on Belmar’s beaches.

In 2001, Belmar became the first town in the continental United States to prohibit smoking on sections of its beaches as a way to combat the enormous litter problem caused by those smokers who dispose of their butts in the sand. Although the Borough grooms its beaches every night with a tractor-pulled mechanical beach rake that picks up larger items of litter, cigarette butts are too small to be picked up by the machine. Because each butt can take more than 10 years to degrade, cigarette litter continues to accumulate and consistently ranks each year as the number one form of litter found in annual beach clean-ups.

Under Belmar’s 2001 ordinance, which prohibited smoking on the beach and boardwalk except where designated, the Borough limited smoking by installing signs permitting smoking within 50-feet of the sign certain beaches.

. The effect of that approach was to create 100-foot-wide long areas stretching from the boardwalk to the water on each of Belmar’s thirteen bathing beaches where smokers were allowed to light up. These designated smoking areas were separated by 400-wide areas where smoking was prohibited. The result was that about 80% of Belmar’s beaches were made off-limits to smokers.

Police found it difficult to enforce the restrictions under the prior approach because the smoking areas were not clearly delineated. Similarly, although the prior approach reduced areas where smoking was permitted, large areas of the beach continued to be plagued by cigarette butt litter.

The new restrictions represent a compromise approach to the complete ban against smoking on the beach and boardwalk that had been advocated by the Belmar Environmental Commission during a presentation made before the Mayor and Council early this year. The Mayor and Council held a workshop hearing on Saturday, February 21, 2009 devoted to this topic that was attended by approximately 50 people.

Under the new restrictions, the designated smoking areas will be reduced in size to at least 20-by-30 feet in size, clearly demarcated by a plastic chain or rope perimeter and located near the boardwalk on each beach. Each designated smoking area will be equipped with urns that smokers can use to dispose of their cigarette butts. Signs at each beach entrance will remind smokers that there is No Smoking on the beach except in designated areas and will point smokers to the nearest designated smoking area.

Smoking on the boardwalk is already prohibited under the 2001 ordinance, except where designated. In response to complaints that existing white-on-blue “Smoking Prohibited” signs on the boardwalk are not sufficiently visible, new blue-on-white signs will be installed to better contrast with other boardwalk signage.

Under the existing 2001 ordinance, the fine for violating the smoking ordinance is $25. The Mayor and Council will also be considering in the future an ordinance amending the 2001 ordinance to make $25 the minimum fine and providing for a maximum fine of $250 in the discretion of the municipal court judge.

The Department of Public Works will create the designated smoking areas and install the new signage in time for the June 15, 2009 full-time beach season.

Girl Scouts help beautify Belmar

The Belmar Girl Scouts joined the Belmar Beautification Committee’s campaign to beautify Belmar this Memorial Day Weekend, by planting flowers at the Lifeguard Boat Planter. The planter is located on Ocean and First Avenues at the northeast corner of Schroeder Park. The flowers planted by the Girls Scouts will greet visitors as they cross into Belmar over the Ocean Avenue bridge.

More than 200 residents turn out for Memorial Day Services

A record number of residents turned out on the morning of Monday, May 26, 2009 for the annual Memorial Day services hosted by VFW Post 2620, the Belmar-Wall Juneau Post at Memorial Park, Twelfth Avenue and Main Street. The services were led by VFW Post Commander Dan Moynihan. Members of the post laid flowers alongside the wreath presented by the Borough on behalf of all Belmar residents. Taps was performed on the trumpet by Sean Brennan, who is a student at Belmar Elementary School, where his father, Tom, is the music director. Sean’s mother is Council President Merry Brennan.

Immediately following the ceremony at Memorial Park, a second service was conducted at the Doughboy Monument at Eighth Avenue and Railroad in memory of those who gave their lives during World War I. Following the second service, more than 50 residents gathered at the Boatworks, the home of the Belmar Arts Council, at Seventh and Railroad Avenues for coffee and pastries sponsored by the Belmar Historical Council.

Belmar Mayor & Council to consider tighter Smoking Restrictions for Beach and Boardwalk

At their Wednesday, May 27, 2009 Council meeting, the Mayor and Council will consider a resolution tightening restrictions against smoking on Belmar’s boardwalk and beaches. This meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. in the Belmar Elementary School Auditorium. The entrance to the auditorium is on the Eleventh Avenue (north) side of the Belmar Elementary School on Main Street in Belmar.

The new restrictions that will be considered represent a compromise approach to the complete ban against smoking on the beach and boardwalk that had been advocated by the Belmar Environmental Commission during a presentation made before the Mayor and Council early this year. The Mayor and Council held a workshop hearing on Saturday, February 21, 2009 devoted to this topic that was attended by approximately 50 people.

The new restrictions will substantially reduce the size of the designated areas where smoking is permitted on Belmar’s beaches. In 2001, Belmar became the first town in the continental United States to prohibit smoking on sections of its beaches as a way to combat the enormous litter problem caused by those smokers who dispose of their butts in the sand. Although the Borough grooms its beaches every night with a tractor-pulled mechanical beach rake that picks up larger items of litter, cigarette butts are too small to be picked up by the machine. Because each butt can take more than 10 years to degrade, cigarette litter continues to accumulate and consistently ranks each year as the number one form of litter found in annual beach clean-ups.

Under Belmar’s 2001 ordinance, which prohibited smoking on the beach and boardwalk except where designated, the Borough limited smoking by installing signs designating smoking areas on each beach.

. The effect of that approach was to create 100-foot-wide long areas stretching from the boardwalk to the water on each of Belmar’s bathing beaches where smokers were allowed to light up. These designated smoking areas were separated by 400-wide areas where smoking was prohibited. The result was that about 80% of Belmar’s beaches were made off-limits to smokers.

Police found it difficult to enforce the restrictions under the prior approach because the smoking areas were not clearly delineated. Similarly, although the prior approach reduced areas where smoking was permitted, large areas of the beach continued to be plagued by cigarette butt litter.

Under the new restrictions, the designated smoking areas will be reduced in size to approximately 30-by-50 feet, clearly demarcated and located near the boardwalk on each beach. Each smoking designated smoking area will be equipped with urns that smokers can use to dispose of their cigarette butts. Signs at each beach entrance will remind smokers that there is No Smoking on the beach except in designated areas and will point smokers to the nearest designated smoking area.

Smoking on the boardwalk is already prohibited under the 2001 ordinance, except where designated. In response to complaints that existing white-on-blue “Smoking Prohibited” signs on the boardwalk are not sufficiently visible, new blue-on-white signs will be installed to better contrast with other boardwalk signage.

Under the existing 2001 ordinance, the fine for violating the smoking ordinance is $25. The Mayor and Council will also be considering an ordinance amending the 2001 ordinance to make $25 the minimum fine and providing for a maximum fine of $250 in the discretion of the municipal court judge.

If the Mayor & Council adopt the new restrictions, the Department of Public Works will create the designated smoking areas and install the new signage over the next several weeks.

Belmar Pictorial History Books available from Belmar Historical Council

No coffee table of a true Belmar fan is complete without copies of Volumes I and II of Belmar’s rich pictorial history. Published through the Images of America series, Belmar Volume I was authored by Karen L. Schnitzspahn. The first volume was so popular that Karen, teamed up with Sandra G. Epstein, who spent many summers in Belmar as a child, to write Volume II soon after. The books are available for $25 each through Patricia O’Keefe, the Secretary of the Belmar Historical Council. Proceeds benefit the Historical Council.

New Flagpole raised at Silver Lake Park

At long last, the 60-foot tall Ocean Avenue flagpole at the head of Silver Lake has been replaced. The previous flagpole was knocked over by a bolt of lightning in late July of 2008.

Memorial Day Services in Belmar on Monday at 9:30 a.m.

Residents of Belmar will gather on Monday morning, May 25, 2009, to remember those who have given their lives for our freedom. Members of Belmar’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post will lead the services and present wreaths at two locations. The initial service begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. at the Memorial Park at 13th Avenue and Main Street. Following that service, a second brief service will be held at Doughboy Park at 8th and Railroad Avenues where a second wreath will be laid to honor those who gave their lives during World War I. Coffee and doughnuts will be available afterwards.

Soccer Registration

Please mark your calender for May 27 & 28 registration at the Municipal Gym, 601 Main Street. The registration will start at 7 pm and end at 8:30 pm. The cost is $35 for one child, $70 for 2 children, and $85 for 3 or more children. There will be another sign up in June. Thank You

Beautification Committee works with DPW to Landscape 6th Ave Rotary

With Memorial Day fast approaching, on Thursday, May 21, 2009 the Belmar Beautification Committee and the Belmar Department of Public Works went to work beautifying the rotary at the intersection of 6th & C Streets. Councilwoman Claire Deicke, who heads up the Belmar Beautification Committee heaped praise on DPW parks employees Kevin Gahan and Joe Nealon, whom she described as “unbelievably helpful” and offered special thanks to DPW Superintendent Andy Meuerle for his cooperation.

This beautification project is just the latest effort of the Belmar Beautification Committee. Councilwoman Deicke reports that the Belmar Girl Scouts will be planting in the old lifeguard boat planter at First and Ocean Avenues, at 9am this Saturday, May 23, 2009, and Beautification Committee member Jane Anne DiEllo, who lives near the 16th and 35 welcome sign, will be planting flowers at that site on Tuesday, May 26, 2009. Once again, the DPW’s expert landscapers will be assisting the Girl Scouts and Jane Anne on these projects. If you would like to join the Belmar Beautification Committee, please contact Councilwoman Deicke at claire.deicke@belmar.com

Belmar NJ launches new website

Hello Friend,

The Borough of Belmar New Jersey has relaunched it’s website. If you were a member of the old Belmar.com and not a current member of the new website you are encouraged to register with the new website under the “My Belmar” section.

My Belmar members can
• post for free on the new Belmar Classifieds section
• post photos to the Member Photo Gallery
• receive and manage email alerts from new posts
• comment on Belmar.com posts
• volunteer to help maintain Belmar.com
• maintain a member profile with a picture and personal information
• connect your Belmar.com account to your Facebook account

Click here to register as a member on Belmar.com or login with your Facebook account.

Thanks and hope you enjoy the new website!

Belmar.com

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