Skip to main content

Crackdown on Beach Overcrowding

Wed, 04/22/2020 - 15:08
A sign at Indian Wells Beach indicates a fine for those without a resident parking permit.
Christine Sampson

East Hampton Town will begin enforcing summer beach parking regulations on Friday, April 24, weeks earlier than the
regulations usually take effect, in order to forestall overcrowding at beaches and in parks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The town has also suspended the sale of nonresident parking permits, beach driving permits, and launch ramp permits, effective immediately. Permits issued already will be in effect until their expiration, but will not be extended afterward.

Resident-only and permit-only restrictions are to be strictly enforced, according to a statement issued from Town Hall on
Wednesday.

The move follows the increased use of town beaches and outdoor recreation areas during the pandemic. The town announced on Saturday that both New York State police and State Park police will be monitoring state parks in Montauk, enforcing social
distancing and closing parks that reach “social distancing capacity.”

East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo told the town board on Tuesday that the police have received numerous complaints related to social distancing, particularly in Montauk. Additional police and marine officers are already deployed there on weekends, he said, targeting beaches in particular.

Villages

Volunteers Take Up Invasives War at Morton

Most people go to the Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge in Noyac, part of the National Wildlife Refuge system, to feed the friendly birds. On Saturday, however, 15 people showed up instead to rip invasive plants out of the ground.

Apr 24, 2025

Item of the Week: Wild Times at Jungle Pete’s

A highlight among Springs landmarks, here is a storied eatery and watering hole that served countless of the hamlet’s residents, including the Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock.

Apr 24, 2025

The Sweet Smell of Nostalgia at Sagaponack General

Stepping into the new Sagaponack General Store, which reopened yesterday after being closed since 2020, is a sweet experience, and not just because there’s a soft-serve ice cream station on the left and what promises to be the biggest penny candy selection on the South Fork on your right, but because it’s like seeing an old friend who, after some struggle, made it big. Really, really big.

Apr 17, 2025

 

Your support for The East Hampton Star helps us deliver the news, arts, and community information you need. Whether you are an online subscriber, get the paper in the mail, delivered to your door in Manhattan, or are just passing through, every reader counts. We value you for being part of The Star family.

Your subscription to The Star does more than get you great arts, news, sports, and outdoors stories. It makes everything we do possible.