Fair access to beaches remains a challenge

February during endless snowfall is an appropriate time to fantasize about the beach. In Connecticut, the sun quickly sets on such fantasies. Back in 2002, a year after Greenwich lost a lawsuit that opened state beaches to nonresidents, the town’s then-First Selectman Richard Bergstresser assessed the fallout and declared “I think the issue is finally over.”

Over the last 19 years, there have been as many opinions on the matter as there are grains of sand along the shore.

One of the caveats of the state Supreme Court decision was that municipalities could only block out nonresidents during an emergency. It was hard to imagine what kind of event would trigger such protocol, but then COVID-19 came along.

A pandemic that had everyone yearning for wide, open spaces sent thousands of people to the waterfront. It didn’t take long for municipal leaders to shutter access to out-of-towners as beaches became overcrowded.

Like COVID-19, the issue didn’t vanish when temperatures dropped. As the calendar flipped to 2021, Greenwich continued to restrict access to the sprawling Greenwich Point. First Selectman Fred Camillo reported 600 vehicles containing non-residents were denied access Jan. 2, when 4,700 visitors came to the park. Even with the snow blanketing the sand, the town requires visitors to display a beach pass or proof of residency.

State Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven, has proposed legislation that not only would prevent using COVID-19 as a reason to ban out-of-towners, but seeks to prevent exorbitant fees for guests.

Accusations of elitism and racism will again wash in with the tide. But while we remain adamant that our waters remain accessible to everyone, the issues are nuanced.

Greenwich Point, for example, is a peninsula and can become overwhelmed by a single row of cars seeking to gain access to limited parking spaces.

Neighboring Stamford, meanwhile, has struggled to establish an appropriate price structure. A seasonal pass for nonresidents is now $292.46, which has caused neighbors around the beaches to complain about out-of-town cars parking in their streets to dodge the cost.

Westport drew fire three years ago when it hiked the price tag for most out-of-towners to $775 for the season.

Routine policies and those during COVID represent distinct issues. Under the law established two decades ago, towns are within their rights to be restrictive during the pandemic. And Greenwich, for example, was consistent in informing residents during the summer that the park would be closed to everyone if COVID protocol was ignored.

Defining reasonable caps for municipalities is another matter. It shouldn’t cost less to get into Disneyland than onto some Connecticut beaches.

It won’t be easy to establish a universal cap, and could backfire by encouraging towns to charge the maximum, but the effort must be made to offer reasonable access to these most precious of resources. The sand and surf don’t know town borders, making a flat fee appropriate.

Getting that done may be another beach fantasy.

Accusations of elitism and racism will again wash in with the tide. But while we remain adamant that our waters remain accessible to everyone, the issues are nuanced.