Beaches Closed To Day Trippers After 'Hellish' Holiday Weekend

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — After a "hellish" Memorial Day weekend that saw crowds swarming Southampton beaches — littering, urinating and failing to adhere to social distancing protocols — Supervisor Jay Schneiderman announced Wednesday that all town beaches are temporarily closed to day trippers and non-residents.

Schneiderman signed an emergency order temporarily closing all town beaches to daily visitors; town beach parking lots were already restricted to residents and renters under a prior emergency order.

The new emergency order limits the use of all town beaches, not just parking lots, to residents and legal renters until May 31 and restricts roadside parking near beaches, as well, Schneiderman said.

While emergency orders suspending local laws are limited to no more than five days, Schneiderman said the order is likely to be extended.

The measure comes in response to a Memorial Day weekend that saw an influx of hundreds of visitors, many of whom parked their cars along roadways near beaches where parking was not restricted, the supervisor said.

The town spent weeks preparing to open several popular bathing beaches for the Memorial Day weekend, including Ponquogue, Sagg Main Beach and Long Beach — those beaches were busy, but not "overwhelmed," Schneiderman said.

Weather conditions were not ideal for sunbathing which limited beach attendance, but, even in the rain, people flocked to other beaches to go fishing, the supervisor added.

The problem, he said, became "acute" at the end of North Sea Road in North Sea when nearly 500 people congregated on a narrow stretch of beach on Saturday evening. Police were forced to close the beach after determining that social distancing could not be achieved based on the volume of people, Schneiderman said.

“It’s unfortunate that we have to enact these restrictive measures, particularly as we enter Phase 1 reopening, but after what we experienced last weekend with droves of visitors overcrowding our beaches, we are left with no other choice to prevent the resurgence of coronavirus in our community," Schneiderman said.

The town, he said, received numerous complaints about litter, public urination, people not wearing masks and not obeying social distancing rules, and others camping on the beach.

The newly issued emergency order extends the beach parking restrictions to include all town roads within 1,000 feet of a road end directly leading to a public beach or water body — the change is aimed at stopping the parking of cars throughout town neighborhoods that are within the vicinity of beaches and road endings leading to the beach, where parking was not previously restricted, the supervisor said.

Under the current emergency order, those parking at or near the beach will need to display a valid town parking sticker on their vehicles. Anyone entering the beach, or on the beach, may be asked to provide proof that they are living or renting within Southampton Town.

Acceptable proof includes a valid New York State driver’s license or non-driver's ID showing a Southampton address, a valid car registration showing a Southampton address, a utility bill showing a Southampton address, or any proof of a legal rental, town officials said.

Police will only ask for identification when overcrowded conditions exist, Schneiderman said.

Parking on East Landing Road, West Landing Road, and Petrel Lane in Hampton Bays has also been restricted in the emergency order to parking by permit only.

Violators will be asked to leave and could face a penalty if they refuse. Cars not displaying the proper sticker will be ticketed. Cars parked overnight may be towed.

Southampton police, code enforcement, fire marshals, and the department of parks and recreation personnel will be enforcing the new restrictions, Schneiderman said.

Residents on the North Fork also cried about overcrowding at Cedar Beach in Southold where crowds also urinated, defecated, left trash, and had an unauthorized food truck and watersports rental operation over the Memorial Day weekend, according to Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski.

Krupski said the problems exist countywide. "It's everywhere in Suffolk County — every nook, cranny and road end is crammed with people."