What Our Readers Think: Opening Beaches to the General Public

Last Thursday, Patch reported that the Village of Westhampton Beach is considering allowing non-residents to pay a $25 fee to day-trip to its beaches in an effort to generate additional revenue for the village. Patch asked readers what they thought of the idea and they had a lot to say. 

The following is a round-up of comments from readers. Feel free to add to the conversation by posting your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Jennifer Bigora wrote, "While I think it's a nice idea, I think parking would be a mess. Its already packed almost every day. I don't think it's fair to non-residents to pay upwards of $25 a day though... Maybe make Rogers for residents and Lashley for non-residents? It's a tough call. But I do think non-residents should be able to get access... it's a gorgeous place and half the reason we have visitors is due to the beaches in the summer. Give them a reason to visit and they just might come out more often to shop and generate more revenue... my 2 cents." 

Beachgirl247 said, "As a resident of the village, this is another reason not to go to the beach for me. There are many nice local public beaches that day trippers can easily access. I have found that people who come to the Hamptons for a day don't have much respect for the beautiful surroundings because they are not invested in it."

Laura Carr said, "One cannot get a parking spot in the summer as a resident already. Non residents have many other options, please do notnlet in people who dont care about our environment."

Pat Burke Frost, added, "I am a resident of Quiogue and am quite content to purchase my Southampton Town beach sticker every year and have my choices of more beaches. It's the same ocean, so I don't need to use Rogers in the summer."

Heather Bester wrote, "Village residents pay village taxes that are on top of our SH Town tax bill - and it is a significant additional amount. The DPW does an awesome job keeping our village beautiful, neat, and in repair. Access to Rogers Beach and Jetty Four is one of the few true perks that rewards village residents. It is so nice when you have a break in the work day and can stop down at the beach, park, and enjoy our most beautiful beaches- even if only for a lunch break. I think a better plan would be on the few busy Saturday and Sundays, when beach goers run out of parking spots in the Rogers lot and the open spots on Beach Lane are all taken - the Village should forgo giving parking tickets (during the hours that the beach is open) to those who park along Beach Lane to walk down to the beach. I think the system of selling beach passes to residents of WH and Remsenburg plus the price of seasonal rental beach passes is fair. Rogers and Jetty Four are special places. Jetty Four is beloved by locals - I don't think we should change the parking policy there. We local village residents appreciate the efforts that the village employees make to keep the beach clean, safe and accessible."

Elyse Richman said, "I think the majority of taxpayers & summer renters in this village would be upset with this idea ? Pick another topic to try to make money."

Kurt wrote, "Bad idea. We already have enough congestion, crime, and lack of respect for the surroundings from non-residents. The areas in question simply are not designed to handle the volume in traffic that this could cause during the busy summer months. There are other ways for the town to make a buck. Keep the beaches for the residents-those of us who pay the taxes that allow their upkeep and exclusivity."

TSM said, "I think it is a terrible idea. We pay a lot in Village taxes to enjoy some privileges that are for WHB residents. I am sure that if the Mayor and Trustees looked closely enough, they could save money on expenses right at Village Hall. Twenty-five dollars a day for a few parking spots is not going to add that much "additional revenue" in the long run. What they should do, is concentrate on how to help businesses grow and make this Village a thriving one that will attract business owners.....maybe then, we wouldn't have so many vacant properties instead of businesses that can pay taxes in the Village."

Jackie Bennett said, "The village beaches are crowded already. Let the day trippers go to Cupsogue or Pikes. We don't need to accommodate day trippers. They don't spend any money in the stores anyway if they're sitting on the beach. If you need to make money, how about charging to use the boat ramps at the boat basin. That's always an idea that gets a lot of resistance at Village Hall. And how about actually ticketing the traffic and parking violations. We almost got clipped on Potunk when someone barreled down the road heading south and never stopped at the stop sign. Sometimes there are cops there, but not this week."

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