As we wrote about back in early April there will be a new coffee concept coming to Brigantine Summer and Sage will be taking over the space formerly occupied by the Black Turtle Coffee Company, which closed back in February The new coffee spot will be led by an experienced barista bringing another great coffee option to the island From Summer and Sage on Instagram: We’re preparing and building a space where you can feel at home and stay a while ☺️ We can’t wait to meet you and be a part of your every day moments Summer and Sage were hoping to open on May 1 but posted a message on their social media sites that there has been a delay to put the final touches on everything to make sure your experience is amazing A post shared by Summer & Sage Coffee (@summerandsagecoffee) They also announced that they will set a new opening date soon Summer and Sage will be next door to the new Tony Beef, a family-owned burger joint run by brothers Anthony and Nick DellaVecchia, which is bringing their popular concept to the island, replacing Kook Burger that closed back in February Tony Beef is a well-established name in the area with two other local locations in Galloway on Route 9 and next to Shop Rite and Manco and Manco Pizza in Somers Point Kook Burger and Black Turtle Coffee were served eviction notices on February 20 with the new spots hoping to open sometime in mid-May A new coffee shop is opening soon in Brigantine, NJ, taking over the former Black Turtle Coffee space on Revere Blvd. While the original May 1 launch was delayed, a new opening date is coming soon—just in time for summer.\nRead More As we wrote about back in early April Summer and Sage will be taking over the space formerly occupied by the Black Turtle Coffee Company, which closed back in February From Summer and Sage on Instagram: A post shared by Summer & Sage Coffee (@summerandsagecoffee) Summer and Sage will be next door to the new Tony Beef, a family-owned burger joint run by brothers Anthony and Nick DellaVecchia, which is bringing their popular concept to the island, replacing Kook Burger that closed back in February Kook Burger and Black Turtle Coffee were served eviction notices on February 20 Iced coffee without having to leave my beach chair That could be you this summer as long as you grab a Brigantine beach tag The folks at Mission Cafe have just announced they're planning to hit the beach come summer 2025 They plan on rolling their iced coffee cart right onto the sand No more packing up your chair and schlepping down the street just to get your caffeine fix Now you can sip some of the freshest coffee in town without ever leaving the beach Mission Cafe does soooo much more than just serve you some great coffee Mission Cafe isn’t just about keeping South Jersey caffeinated They've got a mission that we can all get behind a portion of every coffee you buy goes directly to ocean cleanup efforts READ MORE: Brunch Is Having A BIG Moment In NJ While you’re sipping that delicious iced coffee with your toes in the sand you’re also helping keep that same beach clean for the next generation Think of them like the Tom’s Shoes of the coffee world Every sip you enjoy actually supports something bigger skip the long coffee run and look for the Mission Cafe cart right on the beach and don’t forget to bring your reusable cup A post shared by Brigantine Living: Print Publication & Digital Media & YouTube (@brigantineliving) Gallery Credit: Samm Adams Mission Cafe's upcoming iced coffee cart will serve delicious brews while supporting ocean cleanup efforts.\nRead More READ MORE: Brunch Is Having A BIG Moment In NJ A post shared by Brigantine Living: Print Publication & Digital Media & YouTube (@brigantineliving) Brigantine is offering pre-season discounted beach tags for $20 until May 31st Free tags are available for seniors over 65 (with ID) Brigantine Beach Badge Office on Thursday-Saturday from 9:00am- 3:30pm Online tags are available at Jersey Cape Tags Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Many, many people have been a part of building the Southern California seafood industry into the renowned enterprise it is today two of these pioneering groups—both from California and currently run by the second generation of the families that built them—are uniting as one.  The Brigantine, Inc., the restaurant group behind The Brigantine Seafood and Oyster Bar, Miguel’s Cocina, Ketch Brewing, Ketch Grill & Taps, Topsail, and Portside Coffee & Gelato, is in the process of purchasing The Fish Market’s two San Diego locations and adding the brand to the Brigantine family of restaurants “We definitely want to carry on The Fish Market brand,” says Mike Morton opened the first Brigantine restaurant in Point Loma in 1969 and Portside Pier—all established between 1973 and 2020.  The Brigantine, Inc. group operates 20 restaurants over six concepts, with The Fish Market bringing it to seven. Fred Duckett and Robert “Bob” Wilson opened The Fish Market’s first location in Palo Alto in 1976. At one point, they operated multiple locations across California and Arizona, but today, the only remaining locations are in downtown San Diego and Del Mar.  Morton says that although he doesn’t anticipate any challenges, the purchasing agreement is 100 percent contingent upon the Port Commissioner’s approval. The deal will be on the docket for the Port of San Diego’s public meeting in January and will be certified 30 days later in mid-February If everything does move forward as planned the existing goal is for The Brigantine to take over The Fish Market’s current lease on North Harbor Drive which runs through February 2028 and what Morton hopes to extend we’ll have about three years of runway to figure all that out,” he says (The Del Mar location remains part of the overall deal but does not fall under the Port’s authority.)  “They do a tremendous amount of volume per retail—you or I might swing by and buy five swordfish steaks to take home to cook and they also sell it at the prepared restaurants.” With complementary concepts under their purview Morton hopes it will allow his family’s group to grow outside of California He says they’re looking at opportunities in San Clemente though he’s still optimistic about the future “I think there are a lot of things that fit between the two companies,” he says “I know they treat their people like family Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine By clicking subscribe you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions Email: [email protected] By clicking Subscribe you’re confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions Email: [email protected] © Copyright 2023 San Diego Magazine 1230 Columbia Street After a sudden closure of Kook Burger at 3101 Revere Boulevard Brigantine's food scene is about to get fired up again—with the sizzling arrival of a local favorite Tony Beef a family-owned burger joint run by brothers Anthony and Nick DellaVecchia is bringing its popular concept to the island Known for their no-frills, fully customizable burgers made with 100% Angus beef, Tony Beef has earned a strong, loyal following in South Jersey—and even landed a spot on the list of the best burgers in Atlantic County New York Road in Galloway Township back in 2018 and launched its second location in 2021 in Somers Point, in the Ocean Heights Plaza next to Manco & Manco Too and ShopRite Check out their full menu here including their signature burgers and sauces The arrival of Tony Beef at the former Kook Burger location is expected to inject fresh energy into Brigantine’s evolving dining scene the local favorite is well-positioned to become a go-to destination for burger lovers on the island Tony Beef is hoping to open its doors in Brigantine by May 1 The space formerly occupied by Black Turtle Coffee Company is also set for a refresh With two new local businesses moving into 3101 Revere Blvd Brigantine’s dining scene is getting a double boost just in time for the busy summer season Both places were served eviction notices back in late February and closed Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig/Townsquare Media Read More After a sudden closure of Kook Burger at 3101 Revere Boulevard Tony Beef Known for their no-frills, fully customizable burgers made with 100% Angus beef, Tony Beef has earned a strong, loyal following in South Jersey—and even landed a spot on the list of the best burgers in Atlantic County Check out their full menu here Both places were served eviction notices back in late February and closed I've played the silver ball...." ~ written by Pete Townsend young men (and some young ladies) spent their time dropping quarters and flipping the flippers of pinball machines but pinball nostalgia is big - and one local Airbnb host and consultant has created an Airbnb pinball palace in Brigantine The host, Krista Baum, also launched the Taylor Swift-themed Airbnb in Absecon If you've ever played and enjoyed pinball The house contains several pinball machines - and we're told they will be rotated in and out of the house We're talking working pinball machines Baum worked with the homeowner and pinball collector Ken Shaffer in creating the space She says this is an opportunity to show off the beautiful home and share his unique collection “We wanted to create a special place where guests of all ages can relax I believe the best gift we can give is time and knowing our guests are creating those memories makes all the hard work worthwhile.” This one-of-a-kind Airbnb is now available. Find out more here. Gallery Credit: Jahna Michal This new Airbnb is just launching, and it looks amazing!\nRead More The host, Krista Baum, also launched the Taylor Swift-themed Airbnb in Absecon This one-of-a-kind Airbnb is now available. Find out more here. Brigantine 2025 St Patrick’s Day Parade. March 15 St Thomas Church to line up at 12:30pm. The parade starts at 1pm and will go down Brigantine Ave to the Veteran’s Memorial on 30th Street.   Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" two new spots opened in Brigantine: Kook Burger and Black Turtle Coffee opened over at 3101 Revere Blvd The trendy coffee spot and burger joint quickly began to gain notoriety for their burgers and coffee Now they are gaining notoriety for another reason: an eviction notice with a letter on the window dated February 20 The website for Black Turtle was not working at the time of this writing I have been to Black Turtle Coffee but have not been to Kook Burger but I have heard very good things about the menu and the burgers there but I can't say anything negative about their product Kook Burger had a 4.6 Google rating I had seen Facebook posts about the eviction for both spots and multiple people posting about whether the two places were open or are they closed for good It appears both places are available for rent who tells me that both places could be open and ready to make money by the summer Riordan adds that both places were doing well and the places are essentially turnkey and ready to operate immediately "It's a great opportunity at the shore," Riordan said Anyone interested in renting one of the places can reach out to Riordan 609-339-6004 or via e-mail at MrBrigantine@gmail.com Curious about the fate of Brigantine's Kook Burger and Black Turtle Coffee? Follow the latest news on these two establishments.\nRead More The website for Black Turtle was not working at the time of this writing Kelsey Grammer is back in the area and will give his bartending skills a whirl at the VFW Post 6964 in Brigantine Fans can watch Grammer serve drinks at the VFW Post 6964 located at 121 31st St in Brigantine on Saturday Grammer will be behind the bar from 2 p.m This isn’t the only bartending event Grammer will be a part of this week; he and his Faith American Brewing Company beer were at the Harrah's Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City for the 42nd Annual Atlantic Cape Restaurant Gala Frasier Crane on the TV shows Cheers and Frasier, has become somewhat of an  “Ambassador” for Atlantic City and the area overall local establishments all over the area like the Irish Pub and serving as the Grand Marshal Atlantic City St He is also scheduled to reprise his role in the new Avengers movie as Dr the same role he played in an earlier Marvel movie Cheers to this! Kelsey Grammer is stepping behind the bar in Brigantine this Saturday!\nRead More He is also scheduled to reprise his role in the new Avengers movie as Dr Thanks for visiting A popular Brigantine pub suddenly closed its door over the weekend making it the third business on the island to close this week you will see a handwritten sign on the front door of The Pub that says: "Closed till further notice." While some have speculated the closing of The Pub is temporary sources tell me that The Pub could be reopen as soon as this coming week George's Pub back in February of 2022.  It later later reopened under the current ownership The Pub is located in the Brigantine Town Center at 4282 Harbor Beach Blvd which was located at 900 W Brigantine Ave, has closed its doors for good Although The Cellar 32 had said it was closing for renovations the situation seems fluid and could change Bar/Restaurant Business for sale in Brigantine Beautiful 6750 SF facility with 2 floors Upstairs dining/banquet room with its own large bar Elevator on premises for easy accessibility to second level There is a lot of potential to grow this business with owner operator who has experience in this industry The Celler 32 is located at 3119 Revere Blvd Here is what the Cellar 32 posted on their social media page back on Oct 7 Read More If you're going to go to just one farmer's market in South Jersey held every Saturday from Memorial Day weekend through the Saturday after Labor Day In a review of farmers markets and flea markets nationwide the Brigantine Farmers Market came in #10 nation-wide The Brigantine Farmers Market had an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 The Brigantine Farmers Market was the only New Jersey event to make the Top 20 Brigantine's weekly market takes place in the Brigantine Community School's parking lot Vendors can find an application to take part in the market on the event's website Market hours are each Saturday from 8am to noon The market also has a Facebook page Gallery Credit: Joe Kelly If you're going to go to just one farmer's market in South Jersey, you may want to just go to the best.\nRead More Vendors can find an application to take part in the market on the event's website The market also has a Facebook page We are a union that is proud to fight for you We support politicians and policies – regardless of party affiliation – that protect and empower the work of fire fighters and rescue workers in the United States and Canada There is nothing – NOTHING – more important than the health and safety of our members That’s why we continue to establish services and programs that are widely recognized and imitated by other organizations The IAFF’s training programs empower and educate you in our shared mission to make a dangerous job safer – for you Access our full Course Catalog and your personalized training dashboard Our Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial is an annual event that honors the memory of our brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty The Memorial is located in Colorado Springs and hosts a solemn ceremony every September Local 2657 members executed a successful nighttime rescue of two sailors whose sailboat ran aground off Brigantine A 35-foot sailboat en route from Barnegat to Absecon Inlet ran aground on shoals off Brigantine leading to a prompt and coordinated rescue operation by Local 2657 members.   with the vessel leaning dangerously to one side and being battered by heavy breakers when rescue crews arrived on the scene The rescue took place in the water and the boat later ran aground.  who were traveling from Baltimore to Maine Local 2657 President and Captain Pete Frugoli provided details about the rescue operation.  “We received an urgent call from the Coast Guard about the boat in distress At Brigantine Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services we have a dive team and we’re also ocean rescue,” said Frugoli “Our ocean rescue team is always on standby for such emergencies.”  Local 2657 members Steven Hardiman and Ryan Solari were dispatched as rescue swimmers to assist the sailors Their exceptional bravery and skill were evident throughout the late rescue operation.  “We brought them back to the firehouse to dry out and found somewhere for them to stay before heading back to Baltimore,” said Frugoli.  A job well done for the Local 2657 members who helped save lives in challenging nighttime conditions.  Public Policies | © 2025 IAFF With multiple restaurants closing their doors in Brigantine, Santucci's Original Square Pizza is introducing its brand to the island with a soft opening on Monday, October 28 They will be serving their famous square pizzas It also has dinner menus with pasta dishes and classic Italian meals and will be a B-Y-O-B spot It also will also feature a two-story outdoor dining area that is covered so it can be utilized year-round and will be a great spot in Brigantine to watch all the games The new Brigantine spot is set to open at 3800 Brigantine Boulevard in the spot previously occupied by Shore Things and before that 7-11 The Philly-based pizza shop first made its way to Atlantic County in Ventnor which is also the training spot for this new Brigantine location The Ventnor location has a liquor license and is a two-story spot with a covered second floor and is a great spot to watch the games during any season They also have a Cape May County location at 402 E 26th Street in Wildwood and there is a location in Washington Township They also have three Philadelphia locations with a fourth one coming and four additional Pennsylvania spots The Brigantine location is accepting applications Calling all foodies! Santuccis Original Square Pizza is set to debut in Brigantine, serving up a variety of menu items.\nRead More With multiple restaurants closing their doors in Brigantine, Santucci's Original Square Pizza is introducing its brand to the island with a soft opening on Monday, October 28. They will be serving their famous square pizzas, delicious sandwiches, flatbreads, strombolis, and classic wing varieties. It also has dinner menus with pasta dishes and classic Italian meals and will be a B-Y-O-B spot. It also will also feature a two-story outdoor dining area that is covered so it can be utilized year-round and will be a great spot in Brigantine to watch all the games. They will be serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks, every day from 11 am to 11 pm. The new Brigantine spot is set to open at 3800 Brigantine Boulevard in the spot previously occupied by Shore Things and before that 7-11. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Santucci's Original Square Pizza (@santuccis_pizza) The Philly-based pizza shop first made its way to Atlantic County in Ventnor, which is also the training spot for this new Brigantine location. The Ventnor location has a liquor license and is a two-story spot with a covered second floor and is a great spot to watch the games during any season. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Santucci's Original Square Pizza (@santuccis_pizza) The Brigantine Police Department says they arrested three people in two separate shoplifting incidents that happened only three minutes apart this past Monday officers were called to Acme on Harbor Beach Blvd for report of two women who had just shoplifted over $300 in merchandise and left the area with the items in a cart Those two women were located at a nearby bus stop one of the women provided someone else’s identity to avoid being identified but officers were able to determine that she was actually 49-year-old Icsha Wilson of Egg Harbor City who was "found to be wanted by the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office and was also in possession of drug paraphernalia." Wilson was lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on her warrant "was also found to be in possession of suspected crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia." possession of a controlled dangerous substance She was released on a summons to appear in court other officers were called to a Wawa on Brigantine Avenue for a report of a man who had just shoplifted merchandise Officer Stambaugh located the male walking away from the Wawa and stopped him nearby The male admitted to having shoplifted and was arrested at that time Diaz of Brigantine was charged with one count of shoplifting and released on a summons to appear in court The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law Gallery Credit: Chris Coleman The Brigantine Police Department says they arrested three people in two separate shoplifting incidents that happened only three minutes apart this past Monday.\nRead More These are the Short Term Rental rules in Brigantine that started in 2024 Rental Registration Form Page 1 Rental Registration Form Page 2 Owner Contact Info Update Rental Inspection Checklist Tenant Registration Form Short-Term Rental Changes 2024 Rental Inspection checklist Short-Term Rental Information Template Plans for a new clubhouse at Brigantine Links have taken a major step forward with the City receiving Green Acres approval.  Since the golf course was originally purchased with state funding any improvements require approval from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres program which was found to have significant structural issues.  but the cost would have exceeded 50% of the building’s value triggering strict code requirements.  we found that fixing and renovating the old clubhouse would actually cost more than building a new one,” said Deputy Mayor Karen Bew The new facility will be two stories and 12,420 square feet but maintain the same footprint as the existing building Mayor Vince Sera explained the construction plan: “The plan right now is to construct a new clubhouse next to the existing one then tear down the old one and restore the area to open space.”  The updated facility will feature a full-service kitchen and improved capacity for hosting tournaments bringing Brigantine Links in line with other top South Jersey golf courses the City will issue bonds as part of its long-term strategic financial planning we are replacing it with this new investment ensuring there is no significant impact on the budget  The only immediate cost to the City will be the down payment for the bond Half of the money for the down payment was raised in last year’s budget and the other half will be raised in this year’s budget,” said Mayor Vince Sera The City is in the early planning stages and will share more updates as they become available Golfers want a nice experience when they golf first and foremost and the actual course does not deliver on that use some of the money to upgrade the actual course which for years has been in dire need of an upgrade No mention at all about upgrading the course itself A couple million towards the course itself would do wonders even if it means having a “lesser” clubhouse but this feels like putting lipstick on a pig that I believe has started will begin the process BRIGANTINE ― Two congressmen gathered with experts critical of offshore wind development Tuesday in Brigantine where they blasted a plan to build power turbines miles off the Jersey Shore Inside the auditorium at the Brigantine Community School who represents southern New Jersey in Congress Scott Perry of Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District held a hearing targeting offshore wind before a crowd of roughly 100 attendees "It's not just people who live at the Shore (who will be affected) it's wherever you live," Van Drew said during the hearing Critics of offshore wind have noted the recent failure of a turbine at Vineyard Wind off Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts The turbine's broken blade resulted in fiberglass debris spread across beaches there in July Related: LBI offshore wind critics sound alarm after Massachusetts turbine breaks "For years, the offshore wind companies … have told us that offshore wind is safe, clean, great for fighting global warming, no threat to the environment, and will cut our electric bills," said Amy DiSibio, who sits on the board of directors for ACK for Whales an anti-offshore wind organization based in Nantucket as we have painfully seen over the past month in Nantucket." according to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Phil Murphy instructed state staff to accelerate the approval process for offshore wind development in New Jersey citing a crucial need to reduce carbon emissions in a state where officials with the state Department of Environmental Protection climate change and sea level rise are contributing to increasing coastal and inland flooding As of 2022, more than 90% of New Jersey's electricity was generated by natural gas and nuclear energy, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration About 8% of electricity was powered by solar he issued an executive order setting a goal of having 11,000 megawatts of offshore wind powering New Jersey by the year 2040 In addition to the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind project New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities has approved power agreements with the offshore wind developers Attentive Energy and Invenergy Wind Offshore Developers are also preparing or have already submitted bids to the board for additional projects Yet large numbers of the state's residents remain vehemently opposed to offshore wind projects Suzanne Moore of Brigantine, treasurer of the anti-offshore wind organization Defend Our Beaches New Jersey "The scientific studies show that people will not come to a beach where you're looking at a view of an industrialized ocean and that is going to trickle down through the coastal community economies." A study published in the Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics found that 263 regular visitors to Block Island in Rhode Island did not change their visiting habits despite the development of offshore wind turbines less than four miles from shore Visitors' average number of trips remained the same after the farm's construction University of Rhode Island researchers found researchers noted that Block Island Wind Farm only has five turbines resulting in a limited disruption of the ocean view The 200 turbines of Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind might be viewed differently by tourists in New Jersey Last summer, four in 10 people surveyed in a Monmouth University poll said they believed offshore wind could hurt the Jersey Shore's summer tourist economy More: Feds approve Atlantic Shores offshore wind plan along New Jersey shore "Dozens of these turbines will be highly visible and maybe even audible," said Van Drew "There is an industrial site… being put in our ocean." an environmental advocate and executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters pushed back against the statements made at the Brigantine hearing held by Van Drew and Perry Potosnak said Van Drew was perpetuating "lies." renewable energy — including responsibly developed offshore wind — is critical to fighting climate change which threatens communities across the Jersey Shore with increased flooding and sea level rise," Potosnak said "We know that New Jersey families want to build a clean energy future that creates economic prosperity while improving the health (by lowering emissions) of the most vulnerable among us Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment She has worked for the Press for more than 15 years BRIGANTINE SHORT TERM RENTAL ASSN VS BRIGANTINE CITY COUNCIL and CITY of BRIGANTINE ATLANTIC CITY NJ.CV0155 DOCKET: ATL – L -003180-23 A CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE IS SCHEDULED FOR THIS CASE ON APRIL 15 2025 AT 09:30AM BEFORE JUDGE M SUSAN SHEPPARD The Central Municipal Court of Atlantic County launched on Jan 2022 and is located at 5901 Main Street in Mays Landing BRIGANTINE — After three years of research the city is considering joining Atlantic County’s Central Municipal Court county officials pitched Brigantine on joining the new shared court system county representatives were unable to answer city officials’ questions City Council decided not to join the court system The Central Municipal Court of Atlantic County launched Jan in the historic courthouse on Main Street in Mays Landing Nine municipalities currently participate — Corbin City Northfield was one of the original municipalities in the court system but has since left Hamilton Township also left but has since returned Neighboring Atlantic City shares a municipal court with Pleasantville Brigantine recently shared its municipal court financial records with the county and is waiting to receive updated financial data in return Once city officials receive and review those figures they will schedule a public presentation by county representatives at an upcoming council meeting “The goal is to ensure full transparency and allow for public input as council examines this important issue,” Sera said “Our municipal court provides high-quality efficient service tailored to the Brigantine community,” he continued we need to be confident that service levels won’t suffer and that potential cost savings are real and meaningful.” The Central Municipal Court of Atlantic County the first such court run by a county in New … Sera said an initial concern Brigantine had was the county’s failure to account for overtime costs when scheduling police to court appearances Brigantine minimizes those expenses by scheduling cases on days when officers are working County Executive Dennis Levinson said towns that participate in the shared court were expected to see a 45% savings in 2025 compared to what they were paying on their own prior to joining in 2022 “Here in Atlantic County the system works,” Levinson said in December “No other county in the state does this except us.” The idea for the court was to save money for taxpayers in one of the highest-taxed states in the country The reduced costs are due to State Police-generated cases now going to the towns in which they happened to be adjudicated to having county sheriff’s officers provide security and to lower recidivism Sera on Saturday expressed concerns about the central court’s capacity to serve smaller municipalities He said some participating towns have reported issues with backlogs and delays due to the court’s large caseload and limited staffing He and other city officials fear Brigantine matters will be overlooked in a system that appears to prioritize the larger participating municipalities “Brigantine’s court is not just about efficiency — it’s about community,” Sera said “We’re proud of the personal attention our residents receive jrusso@pressofac.com Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter Email notifications are only sent once a day Atlantic City and Pleasantville cut the ribbon Wednesday on the Atlantic City Joint Municipal… Sign up for a digital subscription to The Press of Atlantic City now and take advantage of a great offer Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Not having a front license plate on his vehicle was the least of a Middlesex County man's problems in Brigantine early Friday morning Police on the island community say at about 4:20 AM tbey observed suspicious activity in the Brigantine Wawa parking lot located in the 3900 Block of Brigantine Blvd Based on [the officer's] previous observations and his encounter with the occupants of the vehicle Officer Rao developed further suspicion that those inside the vehicle were involved in criminal activity A narcotics detection K9 was requested and Galloway Township Police Department Ofc LaSassa to the presence of narcotics odor on the vehicle at that time; a subsequent search led to a quantity of suspected cocaine and Codeine being seized 27-year-old Sharod Gillard-Twitty of Middlesex was arrested and charged with the following: He was released on a summons with a future court date Not having a front license plate on his vehicle was the least of a Middlesex County man's problems in Brigantine early Friday morning.\nRead More Brigantine City Council and the Planning Board aware of this since 2021 Northend neighbors have major concerns regarding the old Rod & Reel site in Brigantine Residents worry about quality of fill used on site potential zoning violations, impacts on public access to the bay Brigantine City Council welcomes your feedback about this on MARCH 5 Rod & Reel DEVELOPERS: R&R BrigBeach LLC R&R BrigBeach LLC is represented by Atty Alleged: Contaminated fill was used to elevate parcel Mayor and Council well aware of issue for years Role of Brigantine in addressing concerns about Rod & Reel site Ensure redevelopment complies with the North End Redevelopment Plan and all relevant ordinances and regulations This includes overseeing the cleanup of the site ensuring proper permits are obtained for all construction activities maintaining public access to Steelman’s Bay ensuring compliance with the CAPE/Atlantic Soil Conservation District requirements and ensuring that the fill material used on the site meets all material certification requirements Hire Licensed Site Remediation Professionals Have LSRP certify that Rod n Reel site is clean from dirty materials Develop planned properties as per the North End Redevelopment Plan Why did Brigantine City Council vacate (give away) 14th Street Vacating of street effectively gave entire 14th Street N to adjacent property owner Brigantine Planning Board Seriously Deficient in Maintaining Their Web Page Contact Mayor Vince Sera and Dana Wineland for details Dana Wineland is the Brigantine Planning / Zoning Secretary Wineland is also the Tax Collector for the City of Brigantine Mike Brindisi is Brigantine Planning Board chairman Potentially contaminated soil on site is significant worry and requires remediation by a Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) City must assure and oversee remedial work required and various construction debris on sidewalk of old Rod and Reel leftover stones from filling the gabion cages Cleanup / remediation of the soil is needed to protect Brigantine public health A municipal construction permit requires “Contractor must submit material certification for all material delivered for this project” Business Developments misinformation on page 17 concerning the old Rod and Reel Site The history of that property goes back to August 2017 when the Brigantine Planning Zoning Board recommended to Brigantine City Council a North End Re-development Plan be studied for this property and two other properties Brigantine City Council adopted resolution 2017-145 and we the taxpayers paid for an extensive and thorough study to be conducted The study took years and was presented to the Planning board on August 28,2019 Council adopted and “approved” the North End Redevelopment Plan February 17 Ordinance No.3 of the plan approved subdividing the property into 4 individual lots One lot is on the corner of Beach Avenue and 13th Street and one bay front lot facing 13th Street North These two lots are oriented South facing 13th Street N with rear yards facing North the lot orientation is important because Beach Avenue curves and the minimum lot size and area coverage requires the proposed on 13th Street N and 14th Street N require conformance to the current zoning setbacks of 20 feet for both street fronts This is in conformance with the Public Trust Doctrine which requires by law visual access by the public to coastal resources without these views being unreasonably obstructed The PTD requires maximizing the views of the bay from 13th and 14th Streets demolished residence on this property next to the old Rod and Reel and 14th Street N conformed to this 20 front and side yard setback zoning requirement The plan approved a total of eight new units in four new buildings The plan specifically details the zoning requirements and notes the two corner lots must have 20 foot setbacks from both street and the minimum side yard distance from one dwelling to another is 10 feet On page 17 of the Plan it specifically states “No deviations shall be granted…including no variances under N.J.S.A ignored the plan and submitted numerous variance and two multi-family buildings Local residences within 200 feet of this property received the required certified mail notices and were outraged After expressing their concerns to Brigantine City Council and the lawyer for the owners the application was removed from the agenda the day before the Planning Board meeting and the City Council adopted a plan that shall not be changed The owner of the property is compelled to comply Brigantine North End Redevelopment Plan by James Rutala and the Public Trust Doctrine are easily found on the Web The Locker Room with Billy Schweim wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and not just because the Eagles are looking to extend their winning streak to 11 games this Sunday The second matchup of NFC East division rivals is in Washington when the Eagles look for win number two versus the Commanders The Eagles fans will not be throwing snowballs at Santa this year Eagles fans have been treated to the best gift of all: A dominant Eagles team A number one ranked defense surrendering only 15.1 points per game during their 10 winning streak a High-powered offense will a Quarterback who has a .708 winning percentage Come join us Sunday as we broadcast Live at LaScala’s Beach House in Brigantine for our Eagles pregame show and get you ready for an important NFC East matchup Plus we have a very special guest on Saturday’s show: Former Eagles Running Back and Legend Wilbert Montgomery is my Christmas present to you! The Flyers and Sixers are opposites in the month of December While the Orange and Black are 2-5-1 this month the Sixers are 4-2 and still waiting for Embiid to get healthy after breaking his face for the third time We will cover it all this weekend in The Locker Room with Billy Schweim Producer Nick Earnshaw and I will talk about the Philadelphia Sports Teams.  In Hour One we will hear from Legendary Eagles running back Corda checks in with his spin on Philly Sports brought to you by Galloway Pool Service it’s our “High School Athletes in the Spotlight” with Fran Mclaughlin brought to you by the Philly Pretzel Factory of Egg Harbor Twp we invite you to join us at LaScala’s Beach House in Brigantine for our Eagles pregame show.  Me and former Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Dave Klemic will get you ready for the Eagles vs Commanders game.  Every Sunday we get the “Keys to the Game” with Fox 29 news sports anchor Scott Grayson brought to you by Blitz’s Market in Ocean City.  My Fantasy Football Guru Brian Hartley gives us his picks for week 16 in the NFL brought to you by Charlie’s Bar in Somers Point.  Plus Kenny Curcio and Ryan Fiske will be performing their hit song “Bleed Green” Live at LaScala’s! It’s our last regular season Eagles pregame show at LaScala’s this year!!  It’s been a blast and we look forward to seeing everyone there and watch the game with The Locker Room crew The Locker Room with Billy Schweim is every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to Noon on 97.3 FM ESPN radio South Jersey The Eagles will look for their 11th win in a row and a division title on Sunday in Washington while The Locker Room is back in Brigantine this weekend\nRead More Brigantine City Council meeting discusses the need for a re-evaluation or re-assessment of properties within the municipality considering whether to handle the process in-house or through a county shared service A key concern is avoiding the issues experienced during past reassessments conducted by outside companies which led to numerous tax appeals and budgetary complications The council will also need to create new tax maps approved by the state of New Jersey before moving forward Real Estate RE-VALS coming to Brigantine and all Atlantic County towns School Taxes with declining student attendance Electric bills supporting offshore wind and ‘green energy’ initiatives Extreme lack of transparency at Brigantine Planning Board I only hope that the reevaluation of properties will favor the homeowner and not higher taxes We in New Jersey pay one of the highest taxes around and it’s time for us to get a break and get our taxes lowered so we don’t have to move out of New Jersey were arrested during a traffic stop in Brigantine late last week The scene unfolded just after 4 AM on Thursday That's when the Brigantine Police Department says one of their officers saw the driver of a vehicle not wearing his seatbelt He also checked the Virginia license plate on that vehicle and found it was not on file later identified as 20-year-old Maximo Mihalaiche "provided his name as 'Ivan Lucas' and gave [an officer] a foreign passport that contained this name and his photograph." Police say a search of the vehicle yielded "a quantity of suspected cocaine and a folding knife with a large blade that was located within the immediate grasp of the driver" and both people were arrested fingerprints revealed that the passenger was actually Mihalaiche he had allegedly given the officer a fraudulent passport and name and he was wanted out of Texas on a warrant with nationwide extradition Briceag was charged with the following and released on a summons: Mihalaiche was charged with the following and lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility: Two people from Texas, including a fugitive, were arrested during a traffic stop in Brigantine late last week.\nRead More Police say a search of the vehicle yielded "a quantity of suspected cocaine The Philadelphia Eagles have won their last two games and look to make it three in a row on Sunday in Cincinnati against the Joe Burrow-led Bengals.  Eagles Quarterback  Jalen Hurts must continue to play well; In the last two games Hurts has thrown three Touchdowns and has zero turnovers with a passer rating of 123.7 The Bengals defensive stats are deceptive because they played half the season without a healthy team.  The last two weeks when the Defensive Line finally got healthy they are allowing just 10.5 Points per game against.  Saquon Barkley is coming off a monster game giving offensive coordinator Kellen Moore plenty of options on Sunday.   The Locker Room with Billy Schweim will be broadcasting Live from LaScala’s Beach House for our Eagles pregame show.  Joining us at LaScala’s this Sunday is none other than former Eagles wide receiver Vince Papale.  The movie “Invincible” showcased the story about Vince’s pursuit to become a Philadelphia Eagle played by Mark Wahlberg.  It's a story of struggle and perseverance a true Philadelphia underdog story.  We are so excited to have Vince with us for our Eagles pregame show.  Plus Vince will sign autographs from 11:30am to 12:30am.  The Flyers lost their sixth game in a row despite the play of Russian rookie sensation Matvei Mickkov who leads the team in scoring with four goals and three assists in seven games.  Michkov is only the 4th Flyers Rookie Teenager with seven points in seven games and Rich Sutter.  The Flyers host the Minnesota Wild for a Saturday matinee in Philadelphia to see if they can end their losing streak at 1pm The Philadelphia 76ers opened their season Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks without two of their stars,  Joel Embiid and Paul George sat on the bench and watched the Sixers lose to the Bucks 124 - 109.  We will have plenty to talk about this weekend in The Locker Room with Billy Schweim.  Producer Nick Earnshaw joins me as we opine about all three Philly teams in action this fall.  We start off talking Flyers hockey and hear from contributing writer with Flyers.NHL.com Bill Meltzer.  Bill will shed light on the Flyers struggles.  In Hour 2, Mr Corda checks in brought to you by Galloway Pool Service - Mr Negadelphia is not happy about the Sixers stars not playing on opening night lineup.  Plus his thoughts on the Birds in Cincinnati we invite you to come to LaScala’s Beach House in Brigantine as we Broadcast Live for our Eagles pregame show.  Join me and former Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Dave Klemic as we welcome our special guest Eagles legend Vince Papale to the show!  We will get the “Keys to the Game” with Fox 29 News Sports anchor Scott Grayson brought to you by Blitz’s Market of Ocean City.  In Hour Two we have a special surprise for Vince Papale who will call into the show.  Finally we will talk with my Fantasy Football Guru Brian Hartley brought to you by Charlie’s Bar in Somers Point.  The Guru will give his picks for week eight in the NFL Vince Papale will sign Autographs from 11:30am to 12:30 before the Eagles vs Bengals 1 pm kickoff All that and more this weekend in The Locker Room with Billy Schweim every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to Noon Eagles travel to Cincinnati to play a talented Bengals team while The Locker Room with Billy Schweim will be joined by Vince Papale at LaScala's in Brigantine\nRead More A Brigantine man has been charged for allegedly assaulting a police officer and a fugitive was taken into custody during the same traffic stop The Brigantine Police Department says the scene unfolded just after 3:00 early Wednesday morning when one of their officers stopped a vehicle for having a large crack in its windshield and for failing to keep right Per a social media post When Officer Springer asked for the driver’s documents the driver refused to identify himself and became argumentative After the driver continued to fail to comply Officer Springer advised him he was under arrest and ordered him to exit the vehicle The driver continued to refuse the lawful commands given to him At that time Officer Springer reached in the vehicle to attempt to remove the driver who resisted Officer Springer’s control and initiated a struggle with him 34-year-old Melissa Loehnert of Atlantic City later identified as 61-year-old Joseph Lenio of Brigantine "put the car in drive and fled the scene striking Officer Springer’s arm with the vehicle." That officer initiated a pursuit that ended in Atlantic City for safety reasons Loehnert was found to be a fugitive from justice from Connecticut and was arrested without incident police say after Lenio abandoned the vehicle "detected the odor of narcotics on the vehicle." The execution of a search warrant reportedly led to the discovery of suspected crystal methamphetamine Lenio has been charged with the following: Loehnert has been charged with fugitive from justice and possession of a CDS (methamphetamine) Both were transferred into the custody of the Atlantic County Justice Facility Gallery Credit: Matt Ryan A Brigantine man has been charged for allegedly assaulting a police officer and a fugitive was taken into custody during the same traffic stop.\nRead More Per a social media post Perhaps if you're going to be committing crimes - well allegedly committing crimes - you shouldn't do things to call attention to yourself This would include things like riding around in a New Jersey registered vehicle without a front license plate That's a no-no and you could be stopped Brigantine Police say one of their officers observed some suspicious activity in a local parking lot then spotted the car involved without a front plate The officer stopped the vehicle on Brigantine Boulevard and became suspicious that those in the car may be involved in illegal activity The officer called for a K9 unit - one came from Galloway Township - and the dog searched around the vehicle The dog keyed on narcotics odor and a search was performed The search found suspected cocaine and Codeine Following the search,police arrested Sharod Gillard-Twitty (27) of Middlesex possession of cocaine with intent to distribute Gillard-Twittey was released on a summons pending a court date SOURCE: Brigantine Police Department Brigantine Police say one of their officers observed some suspicious activity in a local parking lot\nRead More Brigantine Police say one of their officers observed some suspicious activity in a local parking lot then spotted the car involved without a front plate SOURCE: Brigantine Police Department Brigantine ‘Dirty Dirt’ used to fill and elevate former Rod n Reel lot Developer used illegal fill for higher elevation Resident Brooks Garrison raised concerns regarding the seawall and a zoning application by RNR Development He criticized the use of non-compliant fill at the Rod and Reel site which he argued was negatively affecting the land emphasizing the importance of adhering to zoning regulations and protecting public views and community character The council outlined that while they set the redevelopment plan the approval of variances is the responsibility of the Planning Board Residents were encouraged to participate in planning board discussions to ensure their concerns are heard Live ZOOM video of Brigantine Planning Board meetings blocked by Chairman Brindisi and Mayor Sera The mayor provided an update on the seawall citing slow progress from state agencies and suggesting that decisions might be delayed until a new governor is in office Brigantine Planning and Zoning is controlled by Mayor Vince Sera This is why Brigantine Planning – Zoning Board doesn’t live ZOOM their meetings Brigantine Planning – Zoning Board members: Brigantine Planning Board does not post agendas or meeting minutes in a timely fashion These omissions are in violation of state law Brigantine Times: The Rod has been sitting vacant ever since Super Storm Sandy hit Brigantine also sitting vacant since Sandy hit Brigantine is the building that sits right next to the Rod and Reel The Brigantine Planning Board approved the application to tear down the building next to the Rod and Reel and allow a new side by side duplex to be built there The owners of the property also received approval for a bulkhead replacement of the property Unless the existing Rod and Reel building is completely rehabbed the property can’t be developed with a new building or condo development without a new bulkhead Getting a new bulkhead will greatly help with flooding in that area and allow for that property to be redeveloped and meet all of the city’s codes was significantly damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and remained closed thereafter its liquor license was auctioned by the New Jersey Division of Taxation due to unpaid taxes The winning bid of $145,000 came from Michael Snyder and his partner Subsequent reports indicate that the Rod & Reel property was sold to Jack Scheurich with plans to demolish the existing structure and construct a side-by-side duplex on the site