Posted on April 21, 2025
Bay Head leaders learned the project was once again delayed by several weeks.
Not everyone is happy about the beach renourishment returning to Northern Ocean County.
On Thursday night, Bay Head leaders learned the project was once again delayed by several weeks, which means it could not only impact Memorial Day weekend but also the Fourth of July holiday.
A frustrated Mayor Bill Curtis said losing portions of this beach on both holiday weekends is unacceptable. Now he worries what that means to the all-important tourism industry.
Matt Carroll and his family took advantage of the sunshine on this Good Friday to start planning ahead for summer vacations.
“Where are you thinking of buying the family badge this year? Right down the street here in Bay Head,” he said.
But when Carroll learned heavy equipment will likely close 1,000-foot sections of Bay Head Beach during the early weeks of summer he may look elsewhere.
“Yeah, I’d say that would affect it for sure,” said Carroll.
Liz Claudio’s La Luz Salon is just blocks away from the beach entrance ramp on Bridge Avenue.
“If you don’t make it in the summertime, you might not make it in the winter, so we depend on the summer crowds here,” said Claudio. “I think they should be doing it late fall early spring not in the summertime so people can enjoy the shore.”
But that’s simply not an option, says Bay Head Improvement Association’s president Bill Gage.
“Very angry, very disappointed. We asked them if they wouldn’t mind starting perhaps after Labor Day so they wouldn’t be interfering with it. That’s fallen on deaf ears,” said Gage.
The federal renourishment will add to the Army Corps of Engineers beach and dune widening long-term project started after Superstorm Sandy. But towns like Bay Head are at the mercy of the government’s schedule.
As of now, the official start date given by the Army Corps to Bay head is May 12 and finishing on or around July 5. “I think there has to be some give and take back and forth,” added Gage.
News 12 reached out to the Army Corps of Engineers for comment. For now, the town says renters and homeowners need to stay aware and alert for further updates.
