Sea Bright prepares for summer and getting back to business as usual the best they can

Along Ocean Ave., sidewalk dining has extended into the street with extra tables added in a protected area.

By Emma Uk – As Memorial Day weekend rolls around the corner, Sea Bright Council members prepare for another busy summer as Gov. Phil Murphy loosens restrictions on businesses in an effort to start re-opening the state.

While this doesn’t mean restaurants, retailers and places of worship will return to their pre-pandemic selves – masks are still required unless eating or drinking, and social distancing at a minimum of six feet is still mandatory – percentage-based indoor and outdoor capacity limits have been lifted.

Amid a tropical setting Woody's is making use of the parking area.

Although the pandemic shut down a third of New Jersey’s small businesses by December last year, shore town restaurants and beaches in Sea Bright, Long Branch, Asbury Park and Belmar still managed to attract visitors from near and far. And this year, it doesn’t look any different.

After Council members approved a resolution to employ nearly two dozen lifeguards and badge checkers, Mayor Brian Kelly assured residents that as Memorial Day weekend draws closer, nearly every department in Sea Bright is getting ready to kick off the summer as safely as they can as New Jersey re-opens.

“The restaurants are doing their best to open safely,” Kelly said. “We’re going to be – I speak to the chief [of police] all the time – but we’re going to make sure that we do our best to keep the sidewalks open once the restaurants do re-open, and all outside dining, because we know it’s going to get busy.”

As of May 19, there is no capacity limit for outdoor gatherings and no percentage-based capacity limit for indoor restaurants and bars. However, both scenarios are still subject to social distancing rules, meaning any limit would depend on whether individuals or groups can remain six feet apart. Since social distancing is still mandatory, it’s unlikely that smaller restaurants will reach full capacity, although restaurants and bars are permitted to use barriers when unable to place tables or seating six feet apart.

“No matter what we do it’s going to get pretty hectic in town,” Kelly said. “So, we’ll do our best to monitor that and address any issues.”

With official beach season opening up as well, the committee chair for Library, Recreation and Public Relations, John Lamia, also mentioned sponsoring public beach access and the need to maintain dune fencing on Sea Bright beaches. Lamia says he plans on reaching out to previous donors and residents who’ve expressed interest in raising the PR budget, which can help fund public access to the beach and the maintenance of dune fencing – an important protection against coastal erosion.

“Residents have asked me if they can do some maintenance, but we know we have to watch what we do” Lamia said. “So, we’ll see. We’ll see if we can fund some of these things.”