Closing Time

The Sea Girt Rail station property had been purchased in 1956 by the Borough, and the station itself in 1967, for a total of $24,000, but it was leased back to NJ Transit for a ticket office, restrooms, and a baggage storage area. The rest of the space was the library during summers when there was no parking around the lighthouse library. In 1985, almost 20 years after regular stops on the line were discontinued, NJ Transit ended the lease and gave full control to the Borough. This cleared the way for a real library to be built at the old station. No immediate funds were made available.

Closing time restrictions were on the ballot in Sea Girt and Belmar. Residents had had enough of the rowdy atmosphere. At the state level, the drinking age was raised starting in 1981, going up over three years, back to 21. It was justified by the statistics. There were 89 drunk driving fatalities in the state for people 18-20 in 1980, and the increase coincided with the lowering of the drinking age. Monmouth County had settled on a 2 AM universal closing time.

Mary’s Husband’s Pub Belmar (Facebook post)

John Shibles, who was living at 104 Brooklyn at the time, with 30 neighbors, canvassed the entire town ad got the signatures of over 500 voters to force a referendum to limit the sale of alcohol in the borough from 6am-midnight.

The advertisements read “Aren't You Tired Of ...

BEER BOTTLES ON YOUR LAWN?
UNDESIRABLE SLEEPERS?
URINATING IN YOUR YARD?
NOISE AND LITTER?
SPEEDING CARS?
OVERLY ROMANTIC CONDUCT IN PARKED CARS? Closing At Midnight Will ...
REDUCE THE NUMBER OF LATE-HOUR ARRIVALS.
ENCOURAGE PARTY DRINKERS TO GO ELSEWHERE. - IMPROVE NEIGHBORHOOD SECURITY.
REDUCE VANDALISM AND UNDESIRABLE LATE-NIGHT ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS SET AN EXAMPLE FOR OUR YOUTH.
RETURN THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE RESIDENTS..
In Sea Girt, the referendum for a midnight closing time won 692-611. Belmar's passed by even a narrower margin. Sea Girt Council beefed that up with an ordinance ensuring food service ended at midnight as well, and a for good measure, they needed to leave a clear view into the premises to ensure no one was drinking. Bars in town would not take the change sitting down. Rod's, The Yankee Clipper, The Parker House, and Harrigan's sued in federal court. The Stadium did not join the lawsuit. The bars alleged the reduction in the time constituted a taking of property, given the high cost of the licences. They documented their losses. But their suit failed.

The Parker House and lyrics by Semisonic

The results in Belmar were a disaster for the more vacation oriented community. Landlords and busines leaders lost revenue in a addition to the bars. They wanted a do over of the close election. There was similar sentiment in Sea Girt. There is a law that does not allow public questions to reappear within five years, so each town changed the language for the 1986 election. Belmar voted to go back to the 2AM closing.

Sea Girt reiterated their desire for a quiet residential community and kept the midnight lights out.