a trip to the shore is typically a popular option for those looking to stay closer to home this weekend and for the first time in 155 years the beaches in Ocean Grove will now be open on Sunday mornings the Jersey Shore town that's locally known as God square mile has been ordered by the State Department of Environmental Protection to allow access between 9:00 a.m. and noon that's when it's historically been closed to keep with the town's religious Traditions but as Ted Goldberg reports the Court battle over whether that rule will stick is far from Over the peace and quiet in Ocean Grove have brought people to its beaches for a long time the historic nature of Ocean Grove uh the activities that were in the great Auditorium secular or religious for folks like Michael harrian Ocean Grove strong Methodist Roots don't scare him away from God's square mile I'm not a religious person but but that's a spiritual connection it there is I mean you see everybody that walks by and every class every race the rules here have always had a religious influence on Sundays you couldn't drive a car here until a court order in the late '70s I remember my father and I moving the car to the outer hamlets uh either Asbury Park or Bradley uh and the entire streets all of the streets of Ocean Grove were empty of cars I think it was more like of a myth a mystery Marge Huber moved here a year ago and has enjoyed these beaches her entire life except for Sunday mornings the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association which owns the beach and effectively runs Ocean Grove says quote for 155 years we have closed our beach on Sunday mornings to honor God now the New Jersey Department of Environmental protection is ordering us to open our privately owned Beach on Sunday mornings we are challenging this order to preserve our property rights and religious freedom it's become a contentious issue in Ocean Grove where some say religious freedom stops short of preventing people from enjoying a public beach they could still have their services as they always do in the Pavilion here okay um but you can't use religion to take away rights from other people the camp meeting was facing daily fines of 20 $5,000 had they kept beaches closed on Sunday mornings there's no dispute that the Beach and Boardwalk are public even though they're owned by a private group a ruling from Monmouth County court in 1908 said that the boardwalk is a public Highway and a letter to FEA from elected officials in 2013 says we believe that the association does function as a local government entity and is instrumental in providing traditional Municipal services to the residents of Ocean Grove New Jersey we are also confident that the bo Boardwalk is an essential public resource it goes back to you know 1870 when they got their Charter they got their Charter under the jurisdiction of the public trust Doctrine public trust Doctrine means that the general public has access to Oceans bays and rivers it was written into state law 5 years ago but cited in cases well before that the court battle for this beach is in September and beachgoers are split on how they feel about ocean Groves Beach staying open for Sunday morning I'm happy it's going to be open in the mornings but I also do you know respect the Methodist community it's somewhat sad to see many things go but how can you not enjoy historic structures that or a Time piece or a capture of a time where people sought Refuge Ocean Grove is still a Dry Town while they might have to keep their beaches open on Sunday morning they'll remain a quiet beach destination down the shore in Ocean Grove I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight news [Music]