Huntington beaches will be open only to town residents for Memorial Day weekend, the town announced Monday.
“We do expect numbers at our beaches to subside once we start issuing parking permits but we are finalizing details of the beach opening plan,” the town said Monday morning. “This upcoming holiday weekend, in order for a vehicle to enter our open beach parking lots, residents must present a drivers license to prove Town of Huntington residence. ”
And Suffolk County beaches will be limited to residents only, County Executive Steve Bellone said Monday afternoon.
“It’s my priority that Suffolk residents will have access to their beaches with #COVID19 safety rules in place. This policy reflects the reality that there will be reduced capacity since other municipal beaches outside of Long Island will remain closed at this time,” Bellone said.
The decisions come as New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio confirmed that city beaches will remain closed for the holiday weekend, sparking concerns that beaches in other communities would be swamped with city residents.
Some local residents have already been reporting problems. As people grow eager to get outside and enjoy nature, Eatons Neck residents near Hobart Beach have been complaining for several days about crowds jamming the streets and littering their lawns. Others have posted photos of crowds on the beach, or complained about visitors’ behavior.
[awesome-weather location=”Huntington, NY” size=”wide” background_by_weather=”1″ units=”F”]