East Hampton Village's nonresident beach permits and the cost of daily parking at Main Beach and Two Mile Hollow Beach will both increase for the 2021 summer season
The changes were approved by the village board at a meeting on Friday.
For nonresident beach permits, which provide parking access to the village's five ocean beaches, the fee will increase from $400 to $500. The cost of a daily permit to park at Main and Two Mile Hollow Beaches will increase from $30 to $50. The cost to replace a lost permit will also increase. Nonresidents, who had been charged $25, will pay $250; hotels and inns will pay $500, and residents will pay $25. The number of permits issued will remain at 3,100, Mayor Jerry Larsen said.
The increases are necessary, said Christopher Minardi, a trustee who oversees the beaches, to pay for the cost of making the beaches safer, by hiring more lifeguards, and cleaner. "This year we kept the beaches open longer, that wasn't for free, but it was necessary and it was well worth it," he said.
The board also discussed ways to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Accabonac Road and Collins Avenue. Until last year, only cars heading onto Accabonac from Collins Avenue were required to stop, but during the Long Island Rail Road's replacement of the nearby train trestle, a new stop sign was installed on Accabonac at the east of Collins Avenue. Since then, vehicles heading toward the village from East Hampton Town have been required to make a full stop. Those driving on Accabonac from the village have not been required to stop, but a separate lane was created for those seeking to make a left turn onto Collins Avenue. The changes have resulted in confusion at the intersection, said East Hampton Village Police Chief Michael Tracey.
Stephen Lynch, the town's Highway Superintendent, has suggested installing a stop sign at the west side of the intersection, creating a three-way stop, said Chief Tracey. "We would not be opposed to it, but we would want significant input from others including the public," he said. David Collins, the village's superintendent of public works, agreed with Mr. Lynch's recommendation. Rose Brown, a trustee, recommended that Drew Bennett, the village's engineer, conduct a traffic study of the intersection, and Mr. Larsen asked Beth Baldwin, the village attorney, to schedule a public hearing on the matter.
Also on Friday, the board approved the promotions of two members of the East Hampton Village Police Department. Jeffrey Erickson was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant, and Sean Christian was promoted from officer to sergeant. Mr. Erickson has been with the department since 1991, said Chief Tracey, and has been instrumental in creating the department's school safety program. On Monday, Mayor Larsen said he planned to bring the village's code enforcement office under the supervision of the Police Department, and Sergeant Erickson would oversee its work as well as that of the Dispatch Department.
Sergeant Christian "is what we consider one of the backbone officers of the department." said Chief Tracey. "He's a leader by nature."
Arthur Graham, the only trustee to oppose the promotions, said he was against them because Mayor Larsen had not followed proper procedure. "Both candidates are exceptional police officers and probably well-deserving of a promotion, but normally when you do a promotion in the village, it is discussed in executive session beforehand, and the board is fully informed," he said. "I know the mayor wanted to make these promotions right away, which is his right, but I think we always should follow the proper procedure."
A public hearing on proposed changes to parking regulations on several village streets was scheduled for the Nov. 20 board meeting.
The village is seeking to extend the time limit for parking from one hour to two on the north side of Newtown Lane from Osborne Lane to the Long Island Rail Road tracks. On the west side of Race Lane, where the Hello Oma market, Sam's Beverage Place, and the Dopo La Spiaggia restaurant are located, no parking would be allowed from where the street intersects with Railroad Avenue to 195 feet south to improve the sight lines from a store's driveway there. That change would eliminate one parking spot. The parking time limit there would also be reduced to 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
A prohibition against making a left turn from Pleasant Lane onto Newtown Lane would be lifted and left turns would be allowed between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Parking would be prohibited on Middle Lane between Cross Highway and Egypt Lane, as well as on both sides of Egypt Lane from its intersection with Fithian Lane to Pantigo Road. Parking would also be prohibited on the east side of Church Street from its intersection with Buell Lane to the border of the John M. Marshall Elementary School property, and from the school's southern property line to Medway between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
On Cove Hollow Road south of Montauk Highway, a prohibition on parking would be removed, allowing vehicles to park from the streets' intersection to 375 feet to the south.
On James Lane along Town Pond, a two-hour parking limit would be changed to 30 minutes during the summer, and Mill Road, a short and narrow street that cuts through the village green across from St. Luke's Episcopal Church, would be made one-way heading west toward Main Street.
