BRICK – Discounted seasonal beach parking passes for seniors will be a thing of the past, but seniors will still get a discount on daily parking.
“The Council’s Recreation Committee is recommending modifying the implementation of senior citizen’s rates for beach parking to a discounted rate of $1 per day, which can be purchased at the beach with an ID,” said Councilwoman Andrea Zapcic during a recent Township Council meeting.
According to Director of Recreation Dan Santaniello, he recommended a change after noticing that an “astronomical” number of the discounted parking passes were sold last year.
“People were buying them and giving them to non-seniors,” he said in a phone call after the council meeting. “Over the last couple of years, the number of senior passes sold quadrupled, so we knew something was going on.”
There is no way for parking attendants to monitor senior parking passes since the driver bypasses the attendant, so the $1 a day is still cost efficient for seniors, he said.
“If they go to the beach more than 29 times, they can buy a seasonal pass for $30,” Santaniello said.
More Open Space
In other news, Brick has added 1.75 acres of land to its open space inventory since Brick Open Space Savers Committee (BOSS) recommended the acquisition of the undeveloped property, located on the corner of Herbertsville Road and Maple Avenue and adjacent to the 175-acre Saw Mill Tract open space area, said Mayor Lisa Crate.
In a second and final reading, making it official, the governing body voted to appropriate $390,000 for the purchase and authorized the issuance in bonds or notes to finance the cost of the property. The mayor said the township has submitted to Green Acres, a state open space program, for reimbursement.
This wooded area will be preserved as open space. (Photo by Judy Smestad-Nunn)
The wooded parcel also abuts the Bureau of Fire Commissioners training center and a residential neighborhood, she said.
“This property is listed on the township’s most recent Planning Incentive Plan as proposed acquisition and would provide additional acreage to the township’s recreation and open space inventory,” the mayor said.
The property is in a Village Zone which would allow for the construction of single family residential homes or mixed use – residential and commercial development – on what is already a busy intersection, Mayor Crate said.
Heavy Truck Ban
The council also passed an ordinance on its final reading that excludes vehicles weighing over four tons on Van Zile Road from Route 70 to Burnt Tavern Road.
During public comment, Van Zile Road resident Victoria Fabrycki thanked the governing body for placing the speed restriction on tractor trailer trucks.
“This was an effort to replace a sign that had already been posted and was taken down, and we didn’t know why,” she said. “It’s been a nightmare – there’s many, many sections of Van Zile Road that are extremely residential and very close to the road, and it’s been rattling and up to 15 tractor trailers coming through a day, mostly between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., so my heartfelt gratitude to all of you,” Fabrycki said.
The next council meeting will be Friday, December 29 at 10 a.m.
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