Jersey Shore town on brink of taking over part of another

You don’t too often hear about this sort of thing, but there’s a town at the Jersey Shore that may be taking over part of another town.

Back when Pine Valley in Camden County voted to consolidate with Pine Hill, it was the first time in a decade and only the third time in a quarter-century that two New Jersey towns did this.

It looks like it’s about to happen again.

South Seaside Park residents push to leave Berkeley Township

According to nj.com, for more than a decade, folks in South Seaside Park, which is a neighborhood in Berkeley, have been thinking about secession. Many would like to become part of the town they share a border with, Seaside Park.

In fact, as far back as 2014, over 70% of registered voters there turned in petitions supporting the exodus. By 2021, it was being rejected by the Berkeley Township Council.

Why residents feel cut off from Berkeley

For you to understand why they might want to become part of Seaside Park, you need to know this. That small section of Berkeley known as South Seaside Park is physically separated from the rest of Berkeley by Barnegat Bay. It comprises roughly 10 blocks and several hundred Berkeley residents.

But those residents need to leave the barrier island and travel through seven other towns and up to 16 miles just to get back into Berkeley for any township services. Crazy, right?

Now, Seaside Park is small itself, just under one square mile, with a year-round population of 2,058 according to the 2024 U.S. Census Bureau.

NJ Supreme Court sides with residents seeking annexation

Two months ago, the New Jersey Supreme Court decided to uphold a lower court ruling that found in favor of South Seaside Park’s right to exit Berkeley and become part of Seaside Park. Now, a consulting firm has been hired by Seaside Park to prepare an annexation impact study.

So it looks like Seaside Park might be getting a little bit bigger. But whatever town that neighborhood is part of, the tourists will be just as annoying.