Date: September 1, 2026 | Issue: 167

In his address to more than 300 AHLOA members on August 8 at Community Hall, Mayor John McCorristin covered a number of topics and issues of importance to Avalon property owners.

The mayor characterized the Borough’s financial condition as “excellent.” It continues to maintain a AAA bond rating, has no long-term debt, and has the lowest municipal tax rate of any developed community in New Jersey. This year the Borough also added approximately a half million dollars to its budget surplus, bring the current total to almost $4.5 million.

Mayor McCorristin next previewed upcoming capital projects. These include a new water main for 42nd Street west of Ocean Drive, continued reconstruction of Dune Drive, new fencing for tennis courts, and a “major facelift” for Grace O’Brien Park, including a new gazebo and new accessible playground equipment. He also indicated that the Borough is planning to add 20 off-street parking spaces to accommodate the increased use of this recreation area.

One surprise was the mayor’s announcement that the New Jersey Department of Transportation intends to begin construction next year at Exit 13 of the Garden State Parkway in order to make it a “full interchange.” No design plans for the improvements have been released, but they are intended to alleviate the backups onto the Parkway that often occur at both the southbound and northbound exit ramps.

Mayor McCorristin also spent some time addressing the issue of a boutique hotel in the B-1 Business Zone downtown. He outlined a number of the conditions that would have to be met for approval, and stated that there is no current interest from any developer. The mayor said that such a hotel would be “a very expensive proposition” for any developer because it would require the “acquisition and aggregation of multiple properties” within the business zone.

AHLOA members had the opportunity to follow-up on some of the mayor’s points in the Q & A session that followed.

The Mayor's presentation is available here on the AHLOA website.

When the Borough approved the liquor license for Gully’s restaurant earlier this year, it contained the same special condition that is included in every liquor license approved in Avalon: no amplified outdoor music after 8 pm. On July 17, when a band continued to play outdoors beyond the appointed hour, residential neighbors complained, the police were called, and the band was ordered to stop.

This incident ignited what became an ongoing debate on social media between those who contended that the 8 pm outdoor music curfew was unrealistic for a bar at the shore and those who sympathized with the neighbors’ right to peaceful enjoyment of their property. Both the affected neighbors and supporters of Gully’s appeared before Borough Council on July 22 to argue their respective positions. And Gully’s, for its part, filed an appeal with the Alcoholic Beverage Commission challenging the validity of the 8 pm curfew.

At its August 12 meeting, Borough Council adopted a resolution approving a settlement of this dispute. The Borough agreed to allow Gully’s to play amplified outdoor music for an additional hour, until 9 pm. It cited as reasons for this extension the fact that almost 85% of Gully’s seating is on the outdoor porch and that Borough-sponsored concerts at Surfside Park are allowed to continue until 9 pm.

The resolution also imposed additional conditions on Gully’s. It must hire a sound engineer and conduct a sound check of the noise levels in the neighborhood before any band goes on. Bands must be repositioned on the porch to face the building and must use smaller/lower output speakers. And neighbors must be provided with a text number to report disturbing noise levels directly to Gully’s so that there can be an immediate correction. Gully’s also agreed to dismiss the appeal it filed with the Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

All of these conditions will be revisited when Gully’s license comes up for renewal next May.

The Wetlands Institute invites the Avalon community to visit its marsh home of more than 50 years before it ends its 2026 summer season. Hours will be seven days a week from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM through Monday, September 7, the final day of public programming at the 1075 Stone Harbor Boulevard location. The Institute Team will embark on a new chapter to Reimagine the Wetlands after closing its doors that day.

The Institute will resume fall and winter programs in November at a transitional location as it begins work to elevate the Salt Marsh Trail and revitalize the surrounding ecosystem to create a reimagined marsh campus. See details below for a special program at 4:30 PM on September 3rd.

On Tuesday, August 18, AHLOA served a sit-down lunch in Community Hall to more than 70 Avalon Borough employees. The purpose of the lunch, which included a variety of hoagies from 29th Street Deli, chips, cookies from High Dunes Baking Company, and beverages, was to express AHLOA’s appreciation for all the employees do to make Avalon the wonderful town that it is.

Those attending included most of the staff from Borough Hall, police, fire and EMT personnel, and employees from the Department of Public Works and other Borough departments. In June AHLOA distributed lunch to members of the Avalon Beach Patrol and related beach staff. Our thanks to former AHLOA Board member Gary Finger for organizing this event every year.

AHLOA was once again a big hit at the National Night Out event held at the 30th Street beach parking lot on August 4. AHLOA Board member Lynn Cruser and Avalon Councilwoman Barbara Juzaitis had lots of fun educating kids with their bike safety questions. The kids were very engaged and eager to test their biking knowledge. A few even came back a second time. Prizes were awarded for correct answers, and we quickly served up 166 ice cream cups, five tubs of Johnson’s Caramel Corn, five pounds of Swedish Fish gummies and four pounds of Starbursts. Thanks to all who stopped by AHLOA’s table. It was a great evening.

From left, AHLOA board members Lynn Cruser, Warren Faulk and Ken Wensel

It is now anticipated that the US Army Corps of Engineers’ contractor, Norfolk Dredging, will begin pumping fill sand onto Avalon’s north end beaches starting on Saturday, September 5 and, weather permitting, will finish the project by October 12. The contractor’s equipment began arriving at the 20th Street beach entrance this past week and will be moved to the beach near the 8th Street jetty, where it will be staged for the operation.

Once beach fill begins, it will continue 24 hours a day and seven days a week until the project is completed. Beaches will be closed 1000 feet at a time and will reopen as the project advances southward. Altogether, approximately 941,000 cubic yards of sand dredged from Townsends Inlet will be spread on the beaches between 9th and 25th streets.

Federal funding will pay the entire $15.7 million cost of the project.

As the project proceeds, additional updates will be available here on the Borough’s website.

A $4.4 million project to install new 10-inch and 8-inch water mains on 42nd Street and adjacent streets west of Ocean Drive will begin sometime after the Labor Day weekend. The project will greatly improve water service and emergency response capabilities for homes on 42nd Street, Pelican, Flamingo, Heron and Seagull Drives, and Fourth Avenue south of 42nd Street. In addition, ADA compliant accessibility ramps will be installed as required.

At no time during the project will homeowners lose access to their driveways. At intermittent times, water service to a small number of homes may be shut off during the day for up to eight hours. The Borough’s contractor, South State Inc. of Bridgeton, NJ, will provide 48-hour advance notification of shut-offs when possible.

Work on the project will be suspended between Memorial Day and Labor Day next year. It is expected that completion of the project and final paving of the affected streets will take place in November of 2027. There will be a five-year moratorium on street-opening permits once the streets are repaved.

As the project proceeds, additional updates will be posted here on the Borough’s website.

A “three-peat” eluded the Avalon Beach Patrol when it hosted the South Jersey Lifeguard Championships on August 14 at the 35th Street beach. After ABP lifeguard Tim Hanaway edged out his competitors in the singles swim, Avalon and Atlantic City were tied for the lead going into the final event, the singles row. In a close finish, Brigantine was declared the winner over Atlantic City and Avalon. However, video review showed that Brigantine failed to properly turn at the flag, and was disqualified. Atlantic City was then declared the winner of the event, giving it the overall championship with 13 points. Avalon was second with 10 points, followed by Upper Township with 6 points. This is the first outright South Jersey Championship for Atlantic City Beach Patrol since 1998.

Visit us on the Web at AHLOA.com or call 609.796.2491

The Avalon Home & Land Owners Association

Warren Faulk, President