Margate City Hall still searching for families that bought and sponsored a memorial bench on the Washington Ave pier at Amherst Ave.
Each original bench with a plaque cost $1,000 for a 10-year period. Now, they need to be replaced says the city.
Due to Margate’s poor record keeping of the past, they can’t find the original bench sponsorship records.
Margate could soon offer these benches to others if families the original sponsors don’t renew for another five-years.
Margate resident Maureen Noone-Jones is not happy with this announcement which she believes could be misleading.
Her late husband’s sponsored bench was on the pier for 18 years. The sponsorship cost was $500 with no time limit stipulated. According to an email that Noone-Jones sent to DownbeachBUZZ, she believes the recent announcement by the city was an attempt to get ahead of yet another Margate public relations nightmare.
I’m heartbroken. Who does this to their citizens? It’s wrong on so many levels. A pure money grab. I have a recent photo with my grandchildren & it (bench) certainly was not in disrepair.
Maureen Noone-Jones
To date, Margate can’t find 4 families to determine their interest in renewing. The deadline is Oct. 1st. After that date, others can buy those particular bench sponsorships. Reports suggests that most residents are not aware that Margate posted a flyer about this on their social media page.
NOTE: Margate no longer has an email newsletter. It was recently cancelled by Mayor Collins.
Contact Anthony Edge for more info: 609-822-5038.
As per the Margate bench sponsorship: those who paid $500 for a lifetime bench should be grandfathered in as the city is capable of doing for many “projects” that come their attention and implement the new $1000 per bench for 10 yr policy to the new owners as of Oct 1.
Sometimes there are simple common sense courtesy and respect for answers
Man, no respect.
And they lost the records?
That seems odd.
Agree with Maureen’s post, that the previous folks should be grandfathered in for life and have to pay nothing.
And now they will be switching to a 10 year limit with a renewal?
Geez.
Only in Margate.
SMH.
Re-read Margate’s post….it’s $1,000 for five (5) years not ten years (10).
MNJ
Ok, 5 or 10 years.
It should be a one time purchase, not where one has to pay every 5 years.
My family and I were among the first sponsors of a memorial bench on the Washington Avenue pier many years ago to remember my mother-in-law who loved Margate and spent many decades in the city.
For those grandchildren who didn’t get to know her well, it was their spot each summer to say hello to her. At the time of the bench purchase, my family and I weren’t told that the benches had an expiration date.
More so, I’m disappointed with Margate City’s handling of the matter. Ever so quietly.
Even Manhattan’s Central Park allows sponsors to keep their benches indefinitely.
I’ve been told that Margate determined that the benches needed to be replaced because of the wear and tear they’ve attained. Besides the cost of the bench, what was our original sponsorship of $500 nearly 19 years ago?
This last weekend, I saw that new vinyl benches stand where the old ones were. Fine. Then, my family and I would like our plaque, as well as the old bench we bought.
Catherine, thank you for speaking out. I wholeheartedly agree with you. I too would like the bench returned or at a minimum we should have been asked.
There is this thing called “Constituents Services”….seems Margate City knows nothing about them.
I’m still waiting for a promised return call from the Mayor…..eight days now.
Again thank you.
Paid $1,000. in 2005 for 10 years. I called after 10 yrs. to check & was told the bench would never be removed without my being notified.
Kept copies of transaction & have been in touch. Waiting for response. Thanks.
I tried for many years to get a bench for my parents who took us children to the shore every summer from 1948 to 1955 but was told that I was on a waiting list and someone would get in touch with me. No one ever did. Are benches still available with memorial plaques?
lindakrichter@gmail.com
As a follow-up to my previous post, thank you to Margate for allowing my family to have the plaque and the old bench that flanked the pier for many years.