GALLOWAY — The state's proposed new beach access regulations took a beating for the second week in a row today, with residents speaking out at a public hearing in southern New Jersey against a plan that would give individual towns a much greater say in deciding how much access is appropriate for them.

"This document says, 'Trust me: I know what's best for you,'" said Tom Siciliano, a fisherman from Little Egg Harbor Township. "I don't trust government."

"There used to be a governor that would say, 'Come to the Jersey shore,'" added Paul Harris, an official with the New Jersey Beach Buggy Association. "This was to promote tourism, to get people to come to the beach. What do you say now: 'Come to the Jersey shore, but you'll have limited access and parking?' "

The regulations rely more on cooperation from towns rather than threats from state regulators. They let towns decide for themselves what level of public access is appropriate, subject to state approval.

The agency will decide whether to finalize the rules after the public comment period ends next month.

Ralph Coscia, co-president of Citizens Right To Access Beaches, referred to previous praise of New Jersey's current beach access levels by Department of Environmental Protection officials.

"When DEP officials describe New Jersey's public access as 'wonderful' and 'magnificent,' it is cause for concern," he said. "When a family has to drive around for half an hour looking for a parking space in a community where they are legally allowed to go, it is hardly 'wonderful' or 'magnificent.' These events occur on a daily basis during the summer season."

Tim Dillingham, executive director of the American Littoral Society, a coastal advocacy group, said New Jersey's shore towns have shown repeatedly that they will side with oceanfront homeowners against public access.

"The idea that towns should be given the authority to manage public access given their history of having police officers chase people off beaches or limit parking is not the way New Jersey should be protecting access to the beach, which belongs to the public," he said. "They don't belong to the oceanfront homeowners or to the towns. They belong to the entire state."

The state rewrote its beach access rules earlier this year, saying its hand was forced by a 2008 appeals court ruling that struck down more specific rules requiring public access points every quarter-mile, parking and restrooms near beaches.

Ray Cantor, a top aide to DEP Commissioner Robert Martin, said the new rules aim to provide for local flexibility while still maintaining "better access in more appropriate locations."

"There is a better way to provide access to our coastal areas and inland waterways," he said. "We are not doing away with any access points that exist now. We are not abdicating our responsibility."

The court ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the south Jersey beach town of Avalon that claimed the state overstepped its bounds by requiring too much public access and unreasonable requirements such as around-the-clock access to beaches and marinas. The stricter set of regulations had been issued under former DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson, now head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The court agreed and struck down the rules. Martin said the state will now seek to have access points at half-mile intervals, but that standard will not be set in stone.

Most of the gains in public access to New Jersey's coastal and tidal waters have come after lengthy, costly court battles against towns that used a variety of strategies to keep all but outsiders off their sand.

In Mantoloking, beachgoers can park their cars on most public streets for a maximum of two hours a day. In parts of Long Beach Island like the Loveladies section of Long Beach Township, many streets dead-end with private driveways with signs warning "Private drive. No public beach access."

In Sea Bright, there's little, if any, on-street parking along much of the sea wall taking up a good chunk of the oceanfront. Bay Head for years legally restricted its beaches to residents-only, until a court told it to stop. And in many places, eating on the beach isn't allowed and it's impossible to find a bathroom within walking distance.

Irene Kelly, a Lavallette resident, said her Ocean County beach town recently limited parking in some places to two hours. That, she said, makes it much more difficult for people to come use the beach.

"You have to scramble to park your car; in some places, it's five blocks away" from the ocean, she said. "It's horrible and it should be stopped before the season starts."

The new rules ask — but don't require — coastal towns to adopt a public access plan spelling out exactly where the public can get to the beach. For towns that balk, the state has several punishments it can mete out. One is cutting the town off from open-space funding under the state Green Acres program. Another is ranking that town lower on the state's funding recommendation list for beach replenishment money. And a third is denying the town permits for beach and dune maintenance.

The only ones to speak in favor of the rules were elected officials in some beach towns that would be subject to less stringent regulation.

Al Carusi, a councilman in the Cape May County shore town of Stone Harbor, welcomed the proposed rules, saying they would be friendlier than the stance previously taken by the DEP regarding beach access requirements and burdens on municipalities.

"In the past, it was adversarial and time-consuming," he said. "This is a win-win."

Andrew Bednarek, Avalon's borough administrator, said the old rules his town overturned in court were "unreasonable and impossible to comply with."

"I applaud the DEP for abandoning the one-size-fits-all approach while respecting the requirement of public access," he said.

Stone Harbor swears in new police chief

by Trudi Gilfillian, Staff Writer - Press of Atlantic City - May 4, 2011

Reynolds, one of six children, has three older brothers and two nephews in the field, so it was only natural Reynolds would have an interest in policing, too.

As a college student studying criminal justice at Temple University, he heard about opportunities to serve as a summer officer at the Jersey Shore and started his career in Stone Harbor in the summer of 1985.

The following year he became a full-time police officer and eventually won promotions to patrol sergeant in 1997, detective sergeant in 2003 and captain in December 2005.

"I'm excited. This is kind of like a goal when you start out," Reynolds, 46, said prior to being sworn into office. "The time has flown by."

Reynolds will now oversee the day-to-day operations of the department, which has 16 full-time members including himself. The department has one vacant position and a new captain has just been named, so Reynolds said the department will focus on getting its management team in order.

The department also hires about 12 seasonal officers each summer.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity. I take the position very seriously, but I don't take myself seriously," Reynolds said.

He was sworn into office during Tuesday afternoon's Borough Council meeting and his brother, Lt. James Reynolds of the SEPTA Transit Police, pinned the chief's badge on his uniform. Another brother, Sgt. Edward Reynolds also of SEPTA Transit Police, stood nearby along with Reynolds' wife, children and fellow officers.

"He's worked very hard all these years through the chain of command," Councilwoman Joan Kramar told the large crowd in Borough Hall as she voted in favor of Reynolds' appointment.

Reynolds said residents and visitors will continue to receive the same level of service from the department.

The town has a small year-round population of 866 people, 2010 census data show, but those numbers swell to 22,528 people on a typical weekend in July and August, Cape May County Department of Planning said.

Reynolds, who is originally from Delaware County in Pennsylvania, has both a bachelor's degree from Richard Stockton College and a master's degree in criminal justice from St. Joseph's University. He is married with four children and lives in Middle Township.

According to the city, the chief's position has a salary of $112,000 annually.

Also sworn into office Tuesday were Capt. Daniel Mulraney, Patrol Sgt. Robert Walker and Patrol Officer Brent Grunow.

Contact Trudi Gilfillian: 609-463-6716