Last week, I wrote about a contentious situation between residents of Belmar and town officials over the new parking system that went into effect Saturday, May 1. The new design would force full-time residents to pay to park at their own homes.

The new zoning also raises prices as high as $2 per hour to park from 7 am-10 pm. Here's how it all breaks down.

The feedback from residents not only of Belmar but from the entire Jersey Shore was that of disgust.

What's even more disgusting is that not one single person from the Borough of Belmar, especially the Mayor had the courage to return a phone call, an email, or even make a statement. Not only to me but to any media outlet. The questions we have are simple.

  • Why weren't residents contacted in a more transparent way before the new parking rules went into effect?
  • Why is Belmar requiring those who live in these parking areas to pay to park at their own homes? Why can't they get a parking pass or sticker?
  • Why are parking zones used primarily for visitors less expensive than those with more residents?

It turns out that the Borough did hear at least one person who didn't agree with the parking plan. It wasn't exactly easy to find. You have to dig over one hour into a March 2, 2021 council Zoom meeting. If this video doesn't show that the Mayor and company just don't care, I don't know what will.

In another part of the video, the Mayor explains the reasoning for the extension of the 10 pm paid parking time. He says it's due to "pop-up car shows that come into town." Apparently, they are unwelcomed and take-up parking spaces. The Mayor said that extending paid parking through 10 pm, it would allow "the police to police the area" and thereby encourage these pop-up car shows to find another town that doesn't have paid parking.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 4 from 6-8 p.m. is the next Mayor and Council meeting. Hopefully, they will have answers and a resolution. Either way, this is your opportunity to have your voice heard. Here is how you can join the Zoom meeting.

Link to join Webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85430726744

Passcode: 7844717

Belmar have you bummed? LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

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