Ocean Grove surrenders on allowing Sunday morning beach access, at least for now

OCEAN GROVE - The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, which governs much of life in a place that has been nicknamed "God's Square Mile," has been forced to allow access to the beach from its boardwalk on Sunday mornings, at least for now.

Last fall, the state Department of Environmental Protection ordered the association to allow access to the beach on Sunday mornings or risk a $25,000 fine each day. The association has been fighting the ruling in court, but an April 17 hearing was adjourned, so that no resolution was likely before this coming Sunday, May 26, on Memorial Day weekend, the first Sunday that the beach access closure would have gone into effect this year.

The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association released a statement to the Asbury Park Press on Monday, May 20, stating that while it is still fighting the ruling, it is complying for now.

"For 155 years, we have closed our beach on Sunday mornings to honor God — a core pillar of this community since the founding of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association (OGCMA). Now, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is ordering us to open our privately owned beach on Sunday mornings. We are challenging this order to preserve our property rights and religious freedom.

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"Our application for an emergent stay is pending but we have no indication when an order will be entered," the statement continued. "We are currently compelled to comply with the NJDEP order to open the beach but have not ceased nor abandoned our quest to protect our religious and property rights.

"In the meantime, the OGCMA has decided to provide lifeguards on Sunday mornings for the safety of beachgoers," the statement concluded. "We continue to do ministry by providing opportunities for spiritual birth, growth and renewal through worship, education and cultural programs. As always, we welcome all to join us in 'God’s Square Mile.'"

Ocean Grove was founded in 1869 by Methodist clergymen and is noted for its Victorian-style homes and the Great Auditorium, which frequently attracts religious gatherings. It is part of Neptune Township, but all of the land is owned by the Camp Meeting Association except for the streets. Many (but not all) homeowners lease the land on which their homes sit.

Anyone can live and work in Ocean Grove, no matter their religion. In the past, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association had police powers, forbidding vehicular traffic on Sundays, but a 1979 state Supreme Court decision changed that.

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The Camp Meeting Association had kept access to the beach from its boardwalk closed from 9 a.m. to noon on Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, violating the terms of a permit that it received from the Department of Environmental Protection to manage and maintain the beach. Specifically, the permit said the Camp Meeting Association couldn't limit public access to the beach.

Some residents began defying the association's policy. They gathered on the boardwalk on Sunday mornings, beach chairs in hand, insisting they were not protesting, but merely showing up to enjoy the beach with their friends and family as they were allowed to do under the law. The Camp Meeting Association filed a lawsuit, saying the group was trespassing.

While other moves made by the Camp Meeting Association last year simply irritated its critics, the fight over beach access drew the attention of the state, which led to the order to open access to the beach from the boardwalk.

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Supporters of the limited beach hours said the rule was part of Ocean Grove's quirks that have made the town an attractive place for visitors seeking sanctuary from the stress of modern life. Critics said it was off-putting to residents and visitors who are more secular, and violated New Jersey's beach access rules.

In its appeal last year, the Camp Meeting said the entrances to the beach are closed for just 45 hours a year in a policy that is at the core of its mission. The association spelled out a long list of benefits for the religious and secular alike: It gives people a chance to take a morning stroll on a less crowded boardwalk; it gives lifeguards some much needed rest; it reduces summer traffic into Ocean Grove; and it is an economic driver since visitors might have more time to shop at local businesses.

Some residents have criticized the Camp Meeting Association for rolling out religious imagery with more assertion. The group last summer included an image of a cross on beach badges. And it rebuilt the Ocean Grove pier, destroyed during superstorm Sandy in 2012, in the shape of a cross. The 500-foot pier opened last April, but it has been temporarily closed due to concerns about the safety of its structure.

Earlier this year, the group Neptune United released a report arguing properties owned by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association are generally assessed at a lower value for property taxes compared with similar properties owned by other taxpayers.

Now, the Monmouth County Board of Taxation is looking into the tax assessments of Ocean Grove and the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association following the report released that highlighted tax advantages enjoyed by the association.

Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Ocean Grove beach will allow Sunday morning access as it fights NJ