By BILL BARLOW/Special to the Sentinel
UPPER TOWNSHIP -— At the start of a new year, Upper Township Committeeman Curtis Corson is still pushing for action on an old problem.
In June 2020, Township Administrator Scott Morgan reported to Township Committee that public alcohol consumption and other problems had arisen in the north end of Strathmere, in the section of Corson’s Inlet State Park on the township side of the inlet.
In some cases, he said, intoxication was severe enough to require an ambulance.
During the Township Committee meeting Jan. 11, Corson said he has seen little improvement at the park. He also raised concerns about trash in the area, which is officially a carry-in, carry-out site, and boats lined up along the beaches on summer weekends.
“If it doesn’t get any better, I’m going to ask to close down the park,” he said.
Corson would not have the authority to do that. A full vote of the Township Committee would likely not be enough, as the property falls under state jurisdiction. But the suggestion points to frustration with the park.
“I don’t see this happening on the Ocean City side,” Corson said in an interview after the meeting. “The park police don’t seem to patrol it.”
Strathmere issues have taken a forefront at several recent Township Committee meetings, as officials wrestle with how to address parking problems and other issues in the increasingly popular beach town. Once best known for being unknown, Strathmere has lifeguard-protected beaches and no beach fees.
As visitors sought to keep their distance during the pandemic last summer, longtime residents said visits seemed to be at an all-time high. That included in the state park, a preserved area accessible along the beach and through a dune path at Seaview Avenue.
“Last summer was a total mess there, between the rescue calls and the boats on the beach,” Corson said.
On summer weekends, boaters often anchor along the beach, sitting in the sand and swimming nearby. Boaters also line up along sand bars in the inlet when they are exposed by the outgoing tide.
According to Corson, township workers placed trash cans near the park that they regularly emptied because otherwise the litter was overwhelming. They’ve also cleaned the area, he said.
“We shouldn’t have to take the trash and maintain the state park,” he said.
Corson’s Inlet State Park encompasses a large area at the south end of Ocean City, where there are paths through the dunes and a boat ramp, and the northern tip of the barrier island shared by Sea Isle City and Strathmere, on either side of Corson’s Inlet.
The section on the Ocean City side of the inlet is much larger, running almost a mile from 59th Street to the tip of the beach in the inlet. The Strathmere side is about 500 feet from the edge of the houses to the water at high tide, although the exact size of the beach is constantly changing.
The area is popular with boaters, with small boats landing on sandbars and lining beaches on either side of the wide inlet. Anglers and bird enthusiasts use the area throughout the year, and in the summer the beaches can be very crowded.
The beaches on either side are an important nesting area for some bird species, with areas roped off to protect the least tern, the piping plover and other species.
The area falls under the jurisdiction of the superintendent of Belleplain State Forest on the far side of Upper Township.