AVALON – After two successive summer seasons in which Mayor Martin Pagliughi used executive orders to limit late-night access to Avalon’s beaches and boardwalk, the governing body has accepted the recommendation of the mayor to incorporate access restrictions into the municipal code via ordinance.
Avalon Borough Council introduced an ordinance April 13 that restricts access to the borough’s beaches from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., along with limiting access to the boardwalk and Surfside Park from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
The move represents the latest attempt by the borough to deal with the conduct of rowdy groups of young people congregating in these areas in large numbers.
The conduct of these bands of mostly juveniles has been deemed detrimental to public safety and the protection of property. Avalon is just one of many shore communities wrestling with the problem.
Many officials, including Pagliughi, lay blame for the problem on Trenton, where the governor, attorney general, and Legislature have each played their part in what Pagliughi terms handcuffing the police in dealing with juvenile crime and community safety.
The ordinance states that the restriction on access “has proved beneficial and has served to promote public safety and welfare.” The ordinance is constructed in a manner that will allow the council to amend the hours by resolution, avoiding the need for a cumbersome ordinance change process.
A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for April 27 when a vote may be taken to adopt the ordinance. It will go into effect immediately upon adoption and publication.
