Huntington will have four beaches open this weekend, the town announced Wednesday, with access limited to town residents only. Permits won’t be available until May 30 but residents can use their driver’s licenses to show proof of residence for free access.
Capacity will be limited to 50 percent and face masks will be required for entry.
Officially open as of Saturday:
- Centerport Beach, Little Neck Road, Centerport
- Crab Meadow Beach, Waterside Avenue, Northport
- Hobart Beach, Eaton’s Neck Road, Eaton’s Neck
- Quentin Sammis West Neck Beach, West Neck Road, Lloyd Harbor
Beach parking permits will be available for sale starting Saturday at Centerport Beach, Crab Meadow Beach, Hobart Beach, Quentin Sammis West Neck Beach and the following beaches, which are officially opening on May 30:
- Fleets Cove Beach, Fleets Cove Road, Centerport
- Gold Star Battalion Beach, West Shore Road, Huntington
“We will be opening our beaches on a staggered schedule, starting with the four largest Town of Huntington beaches on Memorial Day weekend, with limits on capacity and the expectation that visitors will respect social distancing protocols, vehicle access will be free during the holiday weekend and limited to town residents only,” said Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci.
On Saturday, June 6,
The following beaches will officially open, where beach parking permits also available for sale:
- Asharoken Beach, Eaton’s Neck Road, Northport
- Crescent Beach, Crescent Beach Drive, Huntington Bay
Already open (for fishing only) is Geissler’s Beach, Makamah Road, Northport.
The Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo Memorial Spray Park, located at Elwood Park, Cuba Hill Road, Huntington, will remain closed until further guidance is received by New York State.
Beach parking lots will be limited to 50% capacity. Visitors must park vehicles following the spacing guidelines of the newly marked parking spots; once parking lots are full, parking illegally outside the beach parking lot will continue to be prohibited and parking enforcement will ticket violations. Beach parking lot spaces available closest to the beach will be saved for seniors and those with disability parking permits. The Department of Public Safety will be enforcing social distancing and parking rules in and outside of the beach parking lots.
Beach visitors will be required to have a mask or face covering to gain entry to a Town beach. Accordingly, visitors should be wearing a mask or face covering when waiting for admission to the beach.
Each beach will have a capacity plan to ensure adequate space is available for visitors within household groups to maintain a minimum of 6 feet of distance from other groups. Beach visitors will be required to maintain social distance of a minimum of six feet between themselves and anyone not within their household. Beach visitors will be required to wear a face mask or other face covering when in any public areas, including boardwalks, restrooms, concession areas, walkways and any other public area other than on their blanket, beach chair or in the water.
For the summer, the town is prohibiting the use of the following:
- Barbecues
- Basketball courts
- Bird nesting preserve at Hobart Beach; the Departments of Public Safety and/or Maritime Services will issue trespassing violations for those who enter the gated area located behind fencing
- Group activities
- Picnic tables
- Playgrounds
- Senior Beach use by non-senior citizens at Centerport Beach (lifeguard will be on duty to ensure compliance)
- Sunscreen dispensers (Memorial Day Weekend only; new, automatic battery-powered no-touch sunscreen dispensers will be installed at a later date)
- Volleyball
- Water fountains