LBI homeowners sue to block public beach access
“The family that owns a $4 million oceanfront property in Loveladies has filed suit against the township, claiming their property was made a public access point for the beach because they have refused to sign an easement allowing the U.S. Army Corps to build dunes and widen the beach in front of their land.
The Minke Family Trust of Medford, which owns a two-story, $4 million home at 95D Long Beach Island Boulevard, sued the township last week in Ocean County Superior Court, claiming Long Beach’s plan to create a public access point through their property is unwarranted and will actually reduce beachgoers’ ability to park near the sand.
John H. Buonocore Jr., the Morristown lawyer representing the family, said his clients have been willing to grant an easement that would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build a 22-foot dune and widen the beach in front of their property. They negotiated with the township, the Army Corps and the state Department of Environmental Protection about conveying the easement from November 2013 to April 2014, according to the lawsuit.
But they have resisted allowing their property to be used for public beach access. Easements are the legal documents that allow the Army Corps access to private property in order to construct dunes and widen beaches.
The Minke family house is one of four homes on a private lane that runs east off Long Beach Boulevard. The 4,439-square-foot, 12-bedroom, 16-bath house is valued at $926,700, according to Ocean County property records. The oceanfront property is valued at $3,012,500.
Last year, the family paid $36,398 in property taxes on the land and home.”
Asbury Park Press 11 November 2014.