BERKELEY – White Sands beach in South Seaside Park is ready for summer crowds, despite issues with beach badges after South Seaside Park’s de-annexation from Berkeley to join Seaside Park.
The small strip of land between Seaside Park and Island Beach State Park used to belong to Berkeley, but is in the process of joining Seaside Park. The two towns are working out the particulars now, and beach badges are a topic that had a rocky transition.
The Borough of Seaside Park announced on March 31 that badges from Berkeley Township purchased for White Sands are not eligible for the 2026 summer season. White Sands badge holders had the opportunity to receive full refunds at the Berkeley Township Municipal Building on select days throughout May.
White Sands badges must now be purchased through the Borough of Seaside Park. They can be purchased online through the Seaside Park Beach Department or in person, at the Bathhouse on the Seaside Park boardwalk between N and O Streets.
While Seaside Park and Berkeley collaborated to ensure that the transition of services between townships was smooth during the de-annexation, they were unable to make a compromise with beach badges.
Seaside Park Borough Administrator Karen Kroon said their Borough Council considered honoring the Berkeley badges, but Berkeley missed the deadline for this process.
“In conversation with some of the Berkeley representatives, they presented a list of people who bought badges at Christmas, and asked if we would consider honoring those badges,” Kroon explained. “So we said we’d consider it, but it took Berkeley three weeks to get us that information, and by that point we were already selling badges.”
White Sands badges were $60 in Berkeley, however they sold for $65 in Seaside Park in the beginning of the season. The price increased to $70 after June 15. Kroon claims she’s received no negative feedback about the price jump from South Seaside Park citizens, but that they are upset with Berkeley for selling badges that are now invalid.
“Berkeley received backlash because they sold Berkeley badges after Christmas, knowing that [the de-annexation] was going to happen,” Kroon explained. “They seemed to be dithering about refunding people, but they actually have done so, that was good.”
Alongside new badges, the Seaside Park Beach Department hired additional lifeguards and badge checkers to White Sands to ensure the beach is ready for the upcoming summer season. With all these changes coming to South Seaside Park, Kroon says citizens are adjusting well.
“The folks who were previously in South Seaside Park seem very appreciative to be a part of Seaside Park,” Kroon said. “Integrating services is going smoothly, so we’re looking forward to a great summer.”
Berkeley Mayor John Bacchione has a slightly different take on this. He said that they had already sold more than 700 badges amounting to some $36,000. It would have been easier to just transfer that money rather than make beachgoers get a refund and then buy badges again.
Chris Lundy contributed to this story.
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