Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Ordinances for Parking, Boardwalk Dog & Bike Restrictions

Dogs will not be allowed on the Asbury Park boardwalk this summer, but will be permitted again from October 1 until April 30th, 2010, at which time the ordinance will be reviewed. Owners not picking up after their dogs face a $250 fine per incident. John Loffredo, councilmember, is leaning toward closing the dog beach. It's apparent that dog owners using the beach need to lay down the law with visitors or risk losing this priviledge.
Bikes this summer will be allowed from midnight through 12 noon, rather than 6 am to 12 noon. And bikes will be banned completely from 6th Avenue north, due to the poor condition of the boardwalk in that area. (This is the section of the boardwalk that was not replaced with the rest of the boardwalk from 7th Avenue south to the Casino, due to the City's plan, which calls for 15 beach houses East of Asbury Tower.)
The council passed the parking ordinance as agreed to by the parking committee.
The city authorized bond anticipation notes or bonds, depending on market conditions, to be issued in the amount of $15.8 million, for infrastructure improvements to Springwood Avenue and the Central Business District.
Another $500,000 note or bond was approved for storm sewer improvements for Springwood, and $1.5 million, in two resolutions, for 2009 road improvements.
The City is seeking a General Improvement Bond to consolidate $6,405,000 in aggregated debts of the city.
Code enforcement fees are going up, see public notice April 30th, in the Coaster.
The city passed the boardwalk vending ordinance again for this summer, which renews the city's agreement with Asbury Partners to collect permit fees for vendors wishing to do business on the boardwalk. The fees go to the City, since it still owns the boardwalk. However, Marilyn Schloshbach asked the City for an explanation as to why vendors on the boardwalk are paying "double" the cost of outdoor rental space per foot compared with downtown businesses paying for similar sidewalk space. Schloshbach, who owns with her husband the Longosta Lounge, is paying $7,000 per season for its outdoor space.
These elements of tonight's council meeting are presented as a public service. Any clarifications, corrections or additions regarding the meeting are welcome. Please use the comment function or email to asburyradio@aol.com for posting.

1 comment:

Hingefactor said...

Maureen,
Thanks so much for taking the time to post this.
I'm curious, what was the winning argument for completely banning dogs during the summer?
It is good though that they will be permitted during the rest of the year, so overall, this was well done.