NJ DEP says Jenkinson’s violated state laws by closing access to beach

Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Paul Kinitra says Jenkinson's decided to close the access points as an apparent result of a drowning in the off-season and a subsequent lawsuit.

Sep 19, 2023, 5:23 PM

Updated 441 days ago

Share:

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.
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.
News 12 reached out to Jenkinson's several times on Tuesday to see if they would comply with the warning, but they did not respond.
Leonard and Marilyn Tiber are concerned about people going into the ocean without lifeguards. The couple has been married for 64 years and they’ve been visiting the Jersey Shore for decades. They said they would hate to see anybody lose a loved one.
“I really think they should close the beaches if there’s no lifeguards. I don’t think it should be open," said Marilyn Tiber.
Jenkinson's owns most of the beach in Point Pleasant Beach. News 12 also did not hear back from Mayor Paul Kinitra when the station reached out to him for comment.
But last week, the mayor wrote on Facebook that Jenkinson's decided to close the access points as an apparent result of a drowning in the off-season and a subsequent lawsuit.
State officials say the warning gives Jenkinson's the chance to work with the DEP to resolve this situation.