Seastreak ferry to Point Pleasant Beach still needs council's final approval
Questions arose about zoning, permits and the impact the ferry could have on people who live there.
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When Seastreak announced last week its plans to run weekend trips from Manhattan to Point Pleasant Beach this summer, many town leaders said it was the first they heard of the plan. Questions arose about zoning, permits and the impact the ferry could have on people who live there.
“I didn't want to announce something and then have it come to fruition so ultimately, we waited two weeks ago we got the green light,” said Point Pleasant Beach businessman Billl Cleary.
Cleary said talks began months ago when Seastreak approached him of bringing a ferry and hundreds of passengers to this dock along Inlet Drive.
But at a special council meeting Tuesday night, Mayor Doug Vitale said that announcement came as a surprise.
“Myself nor any of the governing members had any advanced notice this was happening. I literally found out last Tuesday two hours before the council meeting,” said Mayor Vitale.
The boat can hold up to 500 passengers. So far, about three dozen reservations have already been booked for the first sailing.
“I live right there so there is no way that I am going to allow an organization that's unprofessional to operate on Inlet Drive,” said Cleary.
“We don't have a zoning application. We don't have anything from you other than ‘we're here we're pulling our boat up and dumping people off,’” said Councilman John Dixon.
Councilman Dixon tells News 12 he's not against the ferry itself, just the way it was presented - or not presented - to town leaders to study, investigate, and go through proper channels.
Cleary is confident council will in the end give approval for what he calls a trial run and sees big potential down the road to bring passengers to town events like the seafood festival in the years to come.
“Expand it from nine trips to maybe a dozen or slightly more where we start a little bit earlier in the season and run a little bit later,” said Cleary.
A council vote to grant Seastreak a temporary permit to operate a ferry at the docks is scheduled to happen the night of June 16 just three days before the scheduled maiden voyage to Point Pleasant Beach.
