Pelican Island Has Never Recovered From Superstorm Sandy Or Snooki, Resident Tells Officials

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ - A Pelican Island resident asked Township Council members last night for help with noise, absentee landlords and limits on the number of airbnb leases.

She also questioned whether any other production companies had asked permission to film television shows in this tiny section of Berkeley by Barnegat Bay.

No, Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said at the Sept. 25 council meeting.

SueAnn Kosakowski, Sunset Drive South, said airbnb rentals are leading to a number of noise problems. Her 81-year-old husband recently walked over to one of the airbnb homes to ask the occupants to stop shooting off M-80s. Their response was to shoot off another M-80, she said.

Airbnb is an online feature that allows people to lease or rent short-term lodging including vacation rentals, houses and apartment rentals.

The last TV show starring Snooki "ruined" Pelican Island, she said.

"What Superstorm Sandy didn't do to Pelican Island, Snooki did," Kosakowski said.

The "Snooki and JWoww Show" was filmed in the summer of 2013 in Sandy-shattered Pelican Island over the Township Council's and residents' objections. But the ordinance the council was set to adopt didn't come in time to stop the filming. Pelican Island residents had hired an attorney and filed an injunction.

"Snooki and JWoww" was a reality show that followed former “Jersey Shore” cast members Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Jennifer “JWoww” Farley.

In addition to noise, airbnb and Snooki, some homes that have not been properly repaired since the brutal Oct. 29, 2012 storm are being used by business owners with businesses in Seaside Heights for storage, she said.

Amato said he would send township code enforcement on Tuesday morning to the addresses she mentioned.

Photo: Patricia A. Miller