Snooki Ban: Why Does Berkeley Township, New Jersey Want 'Jersey Shore' Star Away From Pelican Bay?

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi told the residents of the Jersey Shore town of Berkeley Township to “get over yourself” after the area wanted to ban Snooki, husband Jionni Lavalle, son Lorenzo and bestie Jenny “JWoww” Farley from shooting a reality show there as they look to rebuild from Hurricane Sandy.

“Unable how adults are trying to ban my son, fiancé and I from enjoying our summer at the shore. Grow up, get over yourself and move on [sic],” Snooki wrote on her Instagram account. “This is not how we should be treating one another. Absolutely sick and very sad. I pray for you. There's much bigger things to worry about in life than trying to ban my family from your neighborhood.”

Berkeley Township drew Snooki’s ire after residents voiced their displeasure over the possible shooting of the “Jersey Shore” spin-off “Snooki & JWoww” on Pelican Island, an unincorporated section of the town.

"This is a quiet, friendly island that’s being put on the map for the wrong reasons," Bekeley Township resident Sue Kosakowski told a council meeting Monday night, according to the Newark Star-Ledger. "It’s a disgrace."

Berkeley Township has been hit hard by Sandy, and some residents see the potential filming as a distraction. A petition on Change.org, written by Jersey resident Rebecca Hoeffler, had 78 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon. It reads:

“The citizens of Pelican Island have voiced concerns over the planned filming of Snooki's ‘vacation’ in the township. The town would like to focus on rebuilding and moving on from the traumatic effects of Hurricane Sandy, which left the residential community devastated emotionally and economically. The unnecessary press and tourists who would travel to the island in the hopes of seeing Snooki will inhibit the ability for residents of Pelican Island to rebuild and move on from Hurricane Sandy.”

MTV, the network behind “Snooki & JWoww,” plans to film in Berkeley Township and Seaside Heights, where most of “Jersey Shore” was filmed.

Meanwhile, Pelican Bay homeowners have hired an attorney in their effort to ban Snooki from their town, according to the Star-Ledger.

Attorney R.S. Gasiorski accused the owner of the Berkeley Township home where “Snooki & JWoww” seeks to film of not being forthcoming about the filming plans.

The owner, Michael Loundy, “simply did not play by the rules,” the lawyer said.

Township officials told the paper they were first made aware of the filming details last week.