STONE HARBOR – Stone Harbor Borough Council is poised to change its ordinance concerning when individuals may obtain beach vehicle permits.
The permits, popular with avid shore fisherman, cover limited vehicle access to the beach from the day after Labor Day to March 14.
For the last several years, the permits have been available throughout the permit period. That is about to change.
At a May 24 council meeting, Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour said the borough has been in violation of a consent decree with several federal and state agencies concerning management of Stone Harbor Point. In that settlement, the borough had agreed to limit the period when individuals could acquire the vehicle permits to the month of September.
The one-month period was seen as an informal constraint on the number of vehicle permits that would be issued. Those who missed the one-month deadline would not be able to obtain a permit for that season.
Officials were unable to explain how the borough went from following the 2008 decree to opening a wider time period for obtaining a permit.
“However it happened,” said Davies-Dunhour, “we cannot continue to be in violation of the settlement.”
Council members expressed support for returning to the one-month window for issuing permits. Davies-Dunhour said an ordinance amendment would be formally put before council in June.
