Lucy Vincent Beach will open June 1 for town residents with stickers, but parking will be restricted this year.
Tim Johnson

Chilmark Beaches Stay Open, With Limits

Chilmark beaches will open on schedule this summer, but with new safety precautions including limited parking.

Chilmark beaches will open on schedule this summer, but with new safety precautions including limited parking, the town beach committee decided Monday.

The committee agreed to open Lucy Vincent Beach on June 1 and Squibnocket Beach on June 15. The two south shore beaches are already restricted in the summer months to town residents with stickers.

The committee also agreed to limit parking capacity at all beaches, including Menemsha, starting in June.

“An effort will made to limit the number of people that access the beach, so that we can keep with social distancing as recommended by the state,” said committee member Martina Mastromonaco.

Though the extent of the parking limitations was not finally decided, committee members discussed placing traffic cones in every other parking spot as a means of reducing the amount of beachgoers by about half.

Committee members also discussed additional sanitary efforts, such as supplying extra porta-potties, cleaning supplies and limiting interactions between the public and gatekeeper. They also discussed educational efforts such as signs, to remind beachgoers of necessary safety precautions.

The vote comes on the heels of a decision by the selectmen last week to adopt an immediate budget freeze of all non-essential spending for the remainder of the fiscal year. The freeze prohibits hiring seasonal staff, among other things.

And while the beach committee has been asked to trim its budget, it will be allowed to hire summer staff to keep beaches safe, town administrator Tim Carroll said.

“If the health department says the only way we can safely run the beaches is to [hire seasonal staff] . . . Whatever works to make this operation go, is what it is going to cost,” Mr. Carroll said.

Beach stickers will still be sold, but people are advised to purchase stickers online this year, as the town hall is closed.

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/27/2020 - 19:29

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Frank Quinn Stevenson Ranch,Ca

How about Katama beach & beaches in Edgartown & Oak Bluffs?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/28/2020 - 08:57

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Island way Chilmark

This year the other 5 towns can use Lucy Vincent beach. That would be something.

Chilmark Common Sense Chilmark, MA

What? That would defeat the whole purpose! When we’re busy coming up with measures to limit the number of people on the beach you want to open them up to the entire island? Half as many spots for a dozen times as many people...?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/28/2020 - 10:51

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R H

So happy all privileged chilmark summer people can use their private beach. I recall the days when anyone could go There. Even now people are allowed on lamberts cove early and late in the day all summer.this double standard imposed by wealthy limousine liberals upisland changed the character of the island forever. By their standards this is surely a form of discrimination against non privelafed whites blacks immigrants hispanics etc. I vividly remember when the privelaged on the island began the practise of banning those not fortunate to own property to many of the islands best beaches. Yes limit for social distancing etc. But let everyone in.

Steve M Chilmark

Are you aware that there are people who live in Chilmark year round? Most of them are far from "privileged". Some aren't even liberals.
You are correct that there used to be a time when anyone could go there. That was before there was a road or a parking lot. You had to walk in, and there was no parking within a mile from the beach itself. I am talking about Vincent beach in this instance. Squibnocket has been a town beach since 1950.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/28/2020 - 11:58

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Ed Sandy Chappy

Hay, look at what happened in California when they just opened the beaches and totally regret it big time never mind what happened in Florida!
Get your head out of the sand folks before we are literally buried under it!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/01/2020 - 10:54

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Lawrence Chilmark Summer

The problem with that Sharon and R.H. (ignoring most of your other ridiculous comments R.H.) is that Chilmark beach parking lots fill up around 1 PM give or take in late June, July & Auguest WITH stickers. It's not a private beach either, it's the Town beach! Anyone can still go on the beaches after Sept 15 to enjoy. If I couldn't get onto my local town beach in July and August I would simply not come. I assure you alot of us "Upisland" summer folks wouldn't be spending alot at many Downisland Restaurants and stores. I eat out every night in Edgartown and OB.

Steve M Chilmark

This has been explained, spelled out, and clarified countless times on this site and elsewhere. The town of Chilmark does not own Vincent beach. It is indeed private property and the lease specifically limits access to people residing or renting in the town, from June 1 to Spetmber 30. The limits imposed on access are the stipulations made by the land owners. Any relaxation of those conditions must be made by the owners. Should the town unilaterally decide to suspend the limitations they would be in violation of the lease.

Islander Too

I believe the same is true of Lambert's Cove Beach. The original stipulation by the Goethals family is that it is only for residents of West Tisbury. No right of return, even for LC natives!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/09/2020 - 20:03

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richmond chilmark

What is now called LV beach was known to me as a child as Barnhouse Beach, to others as Jungle Beach. We parked on the side of the road, trekked over a beautiful field (still there) and down into a swamp where boards were laid down,like walking through a tunnel of green, then up hill, out of the swamp, and to the top of the cliffs, which were quite high. Maybe 100 feet? Or maybe I was just smaller. After rains there were pools of liquid clay that formed at the base of the cliffs. It was a paradise.

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