New Jersey takes ownership of historic lighthouse as historical society calls out red tape and bureaucracy

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NJ (KYW Newsradio) — East Point Lighthouse has been a beacon for boaters on the bay shore for 175 years. Nancy Patterson with the Maurice River Historical Society said they are self-funded and volunteer-run, and the state Department of Environmental Protection has been a nightmare to deal with.

“They’re not user friendly at all. They make it very very difficult to do anything,” she said. “I don’t even think they can function under their own regulations and bureaucracy.”

As an example, Patterson cited several permits to protect the lighthouse from beach erosion that were approved then rescinded, then approved and rescinded again by the agency.

It’s led her to question the motives of the department.

“If you look at the evidence along the bay shore, they’ve driven out homeowners and businesses,” said Patterson. “And this has gone on for a really long time, to the point where we’ve lost entire historic towns — Thompson’s Beach, Money Island, Seabreeze, you know, just go right up the coast.”

Another critic is New Jersey State Senator Michael Testa, whose district contains East Point Lighthouse. He said he believes the DEP wants the lighthouse and every structure near it to fail.

“I have said it countless times. I think the NJ DEP is viewing the human beings in the bay shore community as the invasive species,” said Testa.

Residents near the lighthouse, who did not want to be identified, said it feels like the DEP simply doesn’t want them living there and purposely makes it difficult and expensive to get permits for sea walls or bulkheads to protect their homes.

The DEP took more than a week to respond to KYW’s request for comment and said the current lease with the historical society was intended to be temporary and won't be renewed. The group was offered a new lease with new terms that were rejected.

It said public access will be restored in about two weeks.