I've been predicting a 3 to 1 vote against all along.

Have no idea which way this thing turns out. Predictions can’t be made based on the amount of money that the Anti-side raised since most of the money they raised was through a few large donations. I had to laugh when I saw the Crab Trap as one of the major donors on the opposition. It seems the Somers Point restaurants don’t want BYOB. I wonder why?

Surely the opposition to BYOB will renounce the fact that outside businesses and Pa residents are major contributors to their cause. They have been so out spoken in opposition to the fact that nonresident OC business owners and other nonresidents were the ones pushing for BYOB.

Could it be that some of those contributions came from members of our chamber of commerce who acquired JR's liquor liscense and have plans for building a new "Jimmy Buffet" style restaurant / bar in Somers Point? If you want to know who they are check out the article in the Sentinnel.

It would appear that the owner of the Crab Trap (where so many residents of Ocean City dine) is also of the opinion that BYOB willmake Ocean City's restaurants more competitive.

If only people who own vacation homes in OC were permitted to vote! I guarantee the outcome would be very different...

First a few months ago the city wanted to raise the height of buildings downtown to make Ocean City better for investors. Now its BYOB in restaurants. Eventually, BYOB will lead to open liquor sales like all the towns around us. Finally, the result, there will be very little difference between us an Ocean City MD, or Seaside Heights, or Wildwood. There are more than a few people out there that look at OC as virginal business territory ready to be exploited at the expense of the family residents. Once it starts it never stops until the OC you grew up in is no longer recognizable.

Time for a new mantra noBYOB. Your questions have been answered (and your position refuted) time and time again.

Questions, what questions??? I never had questions. I have an opinion that BYOB is no good for OC. I have my view and you have yours. There are more people....alot more.....who don't want BYOB. The vote will back that up. At some point you will have to get over it.

I own a vacation place in Ocean City and I bought there because it is a dry, family town. I have fond memories of Ocean City dating back to my childhood, and my adult children feel the same way. If I could vote, I would definitely vote against BYOB.

Not sure why folks think second homeowners here would vote for BYOB. For the most part they like things as they are otherwise they would have invested in their second homes elsewhere. They pbobably don't really care, they aren't here much in the off season when is the stated target of the pro BYOB folks. And when they, and their tenants, are here they have learned that the OC restaurants are shovel fried fish and potatoes into the shoobies and turn the tables quickly places. And, being mostly southenders they have to drive to a restaurant anyway. So why not go to a place out of town where experience has shown they're more likely to get a nicer meal. Most second homeowners would not bother to come here to vote, or go to the trouble of getting an absentee ballot. No matter which way this goes it won't affect them very much, so they don't really care.

Eric,
How can you possibly call the anti-BYOB a Chamber of Commerce group when 100's of citizens have made donations and put signs on their properties, and call the BYOB group a citizens group when the whole thing was started by a few failing OC restaurant owners who are having trouble competing with better OC restaurants?

All i can say is I PROUDLY have my NO BYOB sign in my window and i am voting NO. I moved here because of Ocean City being a dry town and i will fight to keep it that way. This town is family oriented and having alcohol would change the structure here. It would not happen over night but it will happen if the BYOB is passed.

Good for you charlene. Even better if you think this is a dry town. If what you meant is you moved here because there are no sales of alcohol permitted in town than great. BYOB would still accomplish that, since no sales would be here. Also funny if you think it is as family oriented as you think, talk to some police or people in town and find out for this samll town how rampant the drug use is in town. Especially throughout the high school. So once May 8th comes and you vote and BYOB is successfully defeated you could spend some of your time in attacking some of the real problems this town is facing, including the absolute decimation of the downtown business district. (Which byob wouldnt help anyway)

Eric, I agree with you most of the time on many issues, but to say it won't happen here that people here are different, is only because we never had BYOB before. It is a crack in the dam that the realtors and other business people will use to usurp from the residents their quaint little beach community out from under them, all legal and all business. The residents be damned. It happened already with the duplexes and quads located where charming little beach cottages used to be. Remember when you could see the ocean from Asbury ave? I do, and those days are gone. My point... give the business community an inch, and they will take it all. JK, makes good points that support my belief. This is foremost a residential community, let's remember the beauty in the town, and how greed could change everything, slowly at first, but as aggressive as cancer wants it starts.

Ocean City did have BYOB before . . . and we are all still here and there are no liquor stores.

Don't you all find it interesting that the heavy hitter donors to the Anti-BYOB Campaign either do not live in Ocean City or are not full time residents???

come on May 8th............. this has got to stop............ all of that money could have gone to charity.............. but NO............. instead it went to Doug Bergen..... and all the sign makers............................ OC please stop the insanity ....... just stop.

just vote

Let's not confuse the issue with drugs in the High School. What HS in America does not have a drug problem? Even Ocean City High School that has to bus the kids into town to justify the school's existence. Follow the money and you will see who wants BYOB. When it is all said and done it is about the money. BYOB does nothing for the residents. The vote is coming, and it is obvious where I stand, not because I am against booze, God Forbid, but rather because I do not trust our city government and where this bill will take us in the years to come.

I tried to approach the discussion with logic and reason. I was told (by another blogger some weeks ago) that that approach would fail. He also stated that people will only listen to arguments that support their own position (and shut out the rest). Truer words were never spoken. I’m kind of disgusted with it now. I tried. Thank you for the advice.

I’ve been trying to affect positive change here in Ocean City for years now, and it has been an uphill climb. But if logic and reason cannot prevail I must admit that I am powerless to do so. In any event I don’t want to get caught up in a circular argument that can never reach its end. There are other issues in this town that are (in my opinion) more important than BYOB.

There's nothing left to do now but vote (and suffer the consequences).

The screwballs that think BYOB will "revitalize" the downtown are deluded. It's all a dream based on marketing the glory years of Asbury Avenue. Time was, ALL stores were open on Wednesday AND Friday nights, till 9! Before Searstown, and the Hamilton Mall. How many of you stopped shopping at Leon's, Staintons, Mayer's, Dixon's, etc... in favor of the new malls and box stores? It's a last-gasp bailout for restaurant owners who can't bother to change their marketing, menus, or advertising. Look at the lines at Luigis, Piccini, the crazy crowds at Sack-O-Subs and Voltacos. We're a seasonal resort. Get it?? It's sad that people are willing to risk so much for so very, very little. Failure rate for new businesses is around 60% nationally.

On a side note, the Fontombons went to a new Asian restaurant by Marmora Shop-Rite two weeks ago, Saturday night. Had a 45-minute wait - two large parties just about dominated the small dining area. They were long finished eating, spent the 45 minutes finishing up their 12-packs of beer and multiple wine bottles. (I guess they walked home...right). Multiple parties (and their dollars) walked out after hearing the wait time. The take-out business was huge, which may be why the owner tolerated this rudeness in the dining area. I'll never dine there again, though the food was absolutely great. Is this what you want?

I am neither for nor against BYOB. I have been vacationing in OCNJ since I was a child and am now 30 years old. There are really no concrete arguments for or against it. Everyone just assumes they know what it will or won’t lead to and what it will or won’t help, but you know all know what happens when one ASSUMES. 

My parents have a second home in OCNJ and wish they could vote. Though people say this BYOB proposition is for the year round residents, it does affect the people who own 2nd homes in OCNJ. BYOB can affect their rental income so they should be allowed to vote on this and other things in OCNJ-they pay taxes like the year round residents do so why shouldn’t they have a say? Maybe it wouldn’t make a difference either way but they should have a vote.

Post continues below...

Again, I don’t care either way if BYOB passes but just a few things to remember/consider and some questions. As you can see, there are points for either side of the argument.
1.If you want to keep the history and tradition of OCNJ alive then vote against BYOB.
2.However, change is not always a bad thing.
3.People have alcohol in OCNJ. They can’t drink it in public but they can end up being drunk in public. Either way OCNJ is not a completely “dry” town.
4.Ocean City does need some nicer restaurants- whether you can drink in them or not.
5.Even if it does pass, isn’t it up to each restaurant owner whether they will allow it in their establishment and how much? (couldn’t you make a rule- 1 bottle of wine per 2 people??)
6.Allowing BYOB does not necessarily lead to liquor licenses and bars/clubs
7.Allowing BYOB is not necessarily the economic solution that OCNJ needs and it won’t save the city and all the failing businesses.

8.Allowing BYOB does not mean there will be an increase in public drunkenness or other problems-it is still a family resort. I know many families that have nice, civil meals with a glass of wine. I also know there are people out on the boardwalk that have drank a few in their homes before heading out for the evening. Drinking is drinking, no matter where it is done.
9. Is it worth it to wait 45 minutes for a table because people are nursing their glasses of wine?
10. If you can, go out and vote on May 8 so these debates can stop and people can move on and work on more important issues related to Ocean City and its improvement.

I love OCNJ and there is no other New Jersey beach I would want to vacation at. My husband and I are hoping to start a family soon and, BYOB or no BYOB, we will continue to vacation in OCNJ.

Now I'm done. Promise :) Sorry!

The Committee to preserve nastiness and ignorance is gaining ground! That's great for those who need to rehabilitate their reputations after jumping on the wrong bandwagon with the wetlands destruction. we are so thankful to have such fine up standing citizens who will protect the public from themselves this way. prohibition lives in ocean city. we are just thankful that Fasy stopped trying to destroy ocean city wetlands so he can use his time to save us from ourselves!

Richard and Allan~Thank you! :)

Sorry, but I'm voting no. These failing restaraunts need to upgrade their menus if they want to compete. i miss affordable meals for a good price.BYOB is not going to bring back Leons, Staintons dept store, Sportsworld, etc.... having more year round residents revitalize a downtown. Ocean City killed Ocean City during the real estate boom and the raising of property taxes drove young families offshore. I live and work in town, grew up here and I love this town the way it was set-up. if i need a drink that bad, i go to somers point, mainly to escape for a few hours. I love the family aptmosphere and hope it doesn't change. No on 5/8

It is just a blessing that the Committee to Preserve Nastiness and Ignorance is around to save us no good wine drinkers from ourselves. Of course where were they when the town was overtaken by the developers and the realtors wait a minute aren t they developers and or realtors yes the fools in oc allowing these hypocrites to lead them around on this no byob are a sad state of affairs

and this committee to preserve oc (a real joke) is run by some of the biggest anti non residents around Pennsylvania 2nd homeowners are held in complete contempt by some of these guys who oddly enough make their living off the PA renters and buyers yes the hypocrisy is astounding BYOB may or may not get voted in now but eventually these guys will be out and BYOB will be in a matter of time

Is this how the promoters of BYOB really want to sell their point to the public and to those who may be undecided?
"the committee to preserve nastiness and ignorance"
"a real joke"
"fools...hypocrites..."
Isn't it possible to just argue the issue? Whether or not OC should allow the restaurants that want it to offer a BYOB option without smearing people just because they don't have the same opinion you have? I think the only issues are - 1, whether BYOB will open the door to other issues (liquor sales), 2, whether limiting the restaurants to certain zones and excluding the boardwalk will bring on a potential challenge in court at the expense of OC taxpayers, 3, whether it will 'revive' downtown. The last issue is something i took a second look at - the downtown actually has a lot of stores, and very few that are closed up. It is the winter that you see more 'thanks for a great season'. I don't see - given our population and the limited appeal of coming to a shore town in the winter - how allowing BYOB itself can change that. I think the problem goes a lot deeper.

I took a ride down Asbury Ave YESTERDAY. Between 6 th st and 15th st. I counted 15 stores vacant. This doesn't count the plethora of mini stores forced on the first floors of the West Ave condos. Stores are no longer geared to the needs of year round residents only tourists and nail salons. We can have people return to the shore in the winter. As a child I remember my family making day trips to check on the shore house, taking a walk on the boardwalk and having something to eat at Hogates or Chris Restaurants before heading home. If we had BYOB restaurants people could do the same and then walk down the Avenue and shop! We had carriages rides this winter that rode the occupants past closed stores. A beautiful opportunity for business wasted! Everyone agrees alcohol is here, stop the hypOCrisy and help our economy grow again! Vote YES on May 8 and bring this city into the current century!

I find it amusing that our town spends so much effort to expand the downtown business area both down Asbury ave and with the West Ave "shops under the condos debacle", which EVERYONE now agrees was a big mistake but you conveniently shorten the business district and ignore West Ave to make your argument work. You also conveniently ignore Ocean Grove which is definitely a resort town and example of a place that has had success with BYOB. Success in a Methodist town even stricter than our OC.I say why can't what works in a larger model work on a smaller model? The road to the malls go two ways! If our residents can go there, the poulation around the malls can come shop in our downtown too. In fact you conveniently ignore or twist most solid supporting facts which have been given. Fear mongering is your method. BYOB will not make us a town full of staggering drunks. You convince people our town will have a reputation like Wildwood, and again ignore the fact we could be like Stone Harbor and Avalon and Cape May.You didn't want BYOB on the boardwalk and now complain that it isn't. The year round population has shrunk, we are offering a viable solution to try to lure them back. Of course what is missing in your " if it ain't broke" theory is that it is broken and needs fixing.

You have offered no viable option except turning our down town into a technology business park using Johnson's popcorn Internet sales as a successful model. You have tried to capitalize on the fact that there is no written limit on the amount of beer and wine brought in knowing that the State prohibits us from putting that in the ordinance. You ignore the overwhelming number of responsible diners and foster the "bar-megedon" image . Hopefully come May 8th the numbers of voters who have kept their opinions to themselves for fear of retaliation will rise up and vote their conscience. VOTE YES ON MAY 8th!!

I think that for a downtown to thrive you have to offer a product that is not duplicated in a bunch of other shops and superior service. Look at Sea Oats - how have they managed to stay in business for decades? They figured out what to change and what should stay the same. What are Sun Rose, Accent Gallery, Boyars, Rauhausers, Sack o Subs doing that the Kitchen Connection, the bridal shop and last years bagel shop didn't do? There is a whole subject of how to revive the downtown that has little to nothing to do with BYOB which would not have helped out the ice cream shop on 10th & Asbury that folded, or Wards that does a healthy business. These are really two different discussions and if there is a link, it is one that the BYOB supporters have not made. That may be because OC is a unique community not only in location but in how it markets itself and it is hard to find an example of a successful equivalent where BYOB is instituted - Ocean Grove really is not the same, neither is Collingswood (I know both communities pretty well). I just haven't heard the 'If we allow BYOB, we will see improvement...because....' connection.

The beauty of BYOB is that it keeps people and the dollars in town. When people and their kids go off island for dinner they are making an evening of it. Even if it is one or teo nights of their vacation.Here is the example of how all boats rise on a high tide. If a family goes off island for dinner, they are going to shop in those towns stores(Avalon,Stone Harbor, Cape Mayans yes even Wildwood!. ) for their soveniers, miniature golf and ice cream before getting in their car and driving back to OC. We have all of that here except the one thing that will keep them here for dinner.It is short sighted to blame the restaurant owners as the only ones that will benefit from BYOB. I wonder how all the shop owners south of 11th street on Asbury feel about NoBYOB declaring they are not part of the downtown shopping district because that's what the website says. Maybe the website could use an update too!

7 more days..... everyone has kicked this horse to death........... give it a rest..... does anyone think a this point they are going to change anyone's mind............ lets move on to the fact that the firefighters ( avg $108,000 a year ) are working with the city for a new contract............................................. think about that .... you may need a drink

I wonder if the downtown area should try to reinvent itself. Can a town of 11,700 with many leaving for several winter months support 100 Asbury stores? Only 4 or 5 are large enough to offer much variety or selection, and most of the others are specialty stores. Many are excellant specialty stores with good management that are suviving, but their merchandise if geared toward the tourist which is where they make the necessary profits in the summer.

Once again this town went from a year round community when the developers and realtors knocked down the single homes and put up condos and duplexes and triplexes and made a ton of money doing so. The taxes are high and retirees have a hard time living in OC This town is a ghost town during the winter but those in control make their money during the summer so it is ok by them to keep the status quo. It is short sighted but that is the way it is then you have the hypocrites of the century just trying to rehabilitate their own reputations by jumping on what they perceive as a winning issue being as pushy and obnoxious about this as they were about their last goal in OC preservationists??? hysterical not preservationists hyprocrites