Borough combats replenishment frustration by accepting neighboring beach tags
Longport Borough image.
An Atlantic County coastal community is opening up it sand this summer to its neighbors that will be dealing with beach replenishment.
Longport will be spreading goodwill by honoring the beach tags for Margate and Ventnor while replenishment is ongoing, Mayor Nick Russo said.
Margate and Ventnor have an existing reciprocal agreement and only one tag is necessary to access the beaches in the municipalities.
But Longport beaches will only be open to its neighbors when their beaches are under active construction, according to Russo.
“If Margate’s beaches are open in June and part of July, those municipality’s tags will not be valid for use in Longport at that time. This was not intended to be a reciprocity agreement for use during the entire beach season,” he said. “So if you normally spend your time on Longport beaches, you will want to consider purchasing a Longport beach tag.”
Longport’s seasonal and senior tags cost $15 and $5 during the pre-season, respectively, increasing to $30 and $10 after June 16. Veteran beach tags are free with proper identification.
The $63 million Absecon Island beach replenishment and dune construction program began earlier this month in Atlantic City.
Crews will then moving into Ventnor for June through mid-July, Margate for the remainder of the tourism season, and Longport in late September. The state says the schedule is tentative.
They’ll close 1,000-foot beach segments at a time when work is occurring, including the pumping of sand from offshore dredges and the shaping of the beach and dune system.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
