State Parks

Sherwood Island State Park; April 2010

Unfortunately, this is the time of year when restrictions and fees go into effect at local beaches and parks on Long Island Sound. If you are not a town resident, chances are you will be denied entry to the park, or else, be  required to pay a much heftier admission fee.

The argument goes something like this:

Local taxes pay for the upkeep and operating costs, therefore, the beach should be restricted to town residents only.

Makes sense -- until you realize what would happen if every town behaved this way. Get injured in a car accident on your way to work? "Sorry, the ambulance and rescue squad are for local taxpayers only." Spend a weekend in New York or Boston?  "There's a $40 cover charge to use the sidewalks. We don't want nonresidents getting a free ride,...or a free walk!" Need to report a crime?  "Unfortunately, police protection is only for taxpayers who fund the department." Want to take a walk in Central Park? "Hit the road freeloader! You're from Great Neck and your date is from Greenwich!  No deadbeat outsiders allowed!"

The "we paid for it" argument rings hollow as well. While the beach may be operated and maintained with local tax dollars, it is similar to a college student bragging that they buy their own groceries. What they  fail to mention is that the tuition, rent, and car payments are being paid by someone else.

Coastal towns receive county, state and federal dollars  for sewage and water treatment plants. Try going to the beach without that! The U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers assists with dredging, bulkheads and causeways; while the boardwalks and buildings are insured through a federally subsidized  program. Landlocked residents pay a significant share of the cost for  beaches they cannot use!

What's an inland boy to do?

There are some places like Huntington, and Compo Beach in Westport which charge more for non-residents, but are reasonable about it (last I checked).  Then there are jewels such as Manor Park in Larchmont which deserve a gold star; no beach, but no fees or residency requirements - just be respectful of the rules.

Another option would be the state parks. I've put together a list below which should provide a few options you were not aware of. I'm generalizing, but the Long Island parks are nicer than the Connecticut ones. With apologies to Hammonasset, Long Island is blessed with a prettier  natural shoreline, and a better understanding of the role state parks can play. 

But both sides of the Sound have their shortcomings. The state park list may seem extensive, but it is misleading, in the same way a lobbyist for Clear Channel  Communications will argue that radio today is more diverse and appealing as ever. Sure there are more radio- stations and genres, but they all play Phil Collins, Billy Joel, and Sting.

There are very few options west of the Northport-Norwalk  divide; and many state parks are not beaches, but simply state land which borders the shoreline. They are a great place to take a hike, but  they are not a public beach.  Only then, do the deficiencies begin to glare. 

Whenever I write about this issue, I am always reminded of my 5 years spent in Southern California. Yes, I had some gripes with that sun-splashed, sprawling McDonaldland, where funeral homes had drive-thru windows and one often needed a car just to cross the street. What I admired most was that beaches were public land; not just for local residents, but for everyone.

San Diego, you can keep the Padres and the Olive Garden, but your public beaches I truly miss!

Connecticut

SHERWOOD ISLAND*: website  Friends Of Sherwood Island

Soundbounder : Related Post

SILVER SANDS*: website  CT Coastal Access Guide

Soundbounder: Related Post

FARM RIVER: website  CT Coastal Access Guide

Soundbounder: Related Post 

HAMMONASSET*: website   Friends Of Hammonasset

Soundbounder: Related Post

ROCKY NECK*: website   CT Coastal Access Guide

HARKNESS: website  Friends Of Harkness

FORT TRUMBULL: website  Friends Of Ft Trumbull

Soundbounder: Related Post

FORT GRISWOLD: website  Friends Of Ft Griswold

BLUFF POINT: website  CT Coastal Access Guide

Long Island

CAUMSETT: website  Friends Of Caumsett

Soundbounder: Related Post

COLD SPRING HARBOR: website

Soundbounder: Related Post

NISSEQUOGUE: website  Friends Of Nissequogue

Soundbounder: Related Post

SUNKEN MEADOW*: website

Soundbounder: Related Post

WILDWOOD*: website  Explore LI

Soundbounder: Related Post

HALLOCK: website  

ORIENT POINT*: website

Soundbounder: Related Post

HITHER HILLS*: website  Explore LI

MONTAUK POINT: website

Westchester County Parks

NYC Parks

Nassau County Parks

Suffolk County Parks

Rhode Island State Parks

CT Coastal Access Guide

NY State Parks (Long Island)

SOUNDBOUNDER: Fees And Access

* beach with lifeguards,concessions, restrooms, etc

Power Crazy: Shoreham Breakwater

At the eastern end of Shoreham Beach, the ill fated Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant comes into view.  It sits about a thousand feet inland along the Wading River, which serves as the border between the towns of Riverhead and Brookhaven. A hundred feet south of the beach there are fences with signs warning people to "keep out". With no intention of trespassing, I stayed close to the waterline as I continued eastward. There was a jetty ahead with a dozen or so people on it, and I decided to take a closer look.

It is a relatively safe jetty that was easy to walk, and there were no signs stating that it was private property. There was a couple sharing a boxed lunch while the others all appeared to be fishing. Halfway out, I heard a horn being blasted from the beach area behind me. Turning around, I saw a security-type SUV with two large men approaching the breakwater.

I would never succeed as a tabloid reporter. My camera is able to record video, but at that moment, it never occured to me. Instead of filming what was taking place, I slipped the camera back into my pocket as the two men approached.

The only thing he said to me was "You're under arrest, stand over there" as he pointed to the beach area adjacent to the jetty. They never identified themselves, and there was no logo on their shirts, but I knew they were not cops. I assumed they were from the power plant, but I was not completely sure.

I really wanted to explain to them that I was scheduled to be in Rocky Point for dinner at 6 pm. But, rather than dig myself into a bigger hole, I followed orders and walked back to the beach. They proceeded to round everyone up as they made their way out the jetty. Some sort of confusion developed with one group, and at that moment, I made the decision to run. Sweaty and out of breath, I reached the car and got the hell out of Dodge.

Soundbounder the fugitive!

Power Crazy: Shoreham Beach

I had never heard of a beach being closed on Fathers Day weekend before. There have been threats of closings that were fortunately avoided, but I have never arrived at a beach on a summer weekend and found it padlocked. That all changed when I arrived at Shoreham Beach on Saturday.

Winding along North Country Road,  I spotted 7 or 8 cars parked near the entrance to this beach, operated by the town of Brookhaven. My initial reaction was that the parking lot was full, and the overflow resorted to using the shoulder of the road. Perfect weather on a Saturday in June; "the beach is packed" I thought to myself. But as I neared the entrance, I realized the gates were closed. No problemo; I grabbed my bag and began the half mile trek up the access road that leads to the beach.

It was an easy walk, but I was by myself and traveling light. If I had children with me and several items to carry, it would not have been feasible. I found myself brainstorming different scenarios as to why the beach was closed: was the road ahead washed out; maybe there was some sort of contamination from the nearby Shoreham plant; or perhaps there was another entrance I was unaware of.

While there are many stretches of  Long Island Sound I am quite familiar with, the 25 miles dividing Port Jefferson from Mattituck remain mostly a mystery to me. With no harbors, the towns along this uninterupted shoreline were never a place to visit by boat. Other than a few scenic-route drives returning from Greenport, my only exposure to this area has been from several miles offshore.

It is a long, lonely, shoreline that is mostly deserted, except for the occasional shore club or town beach, spread out at the bottom of a ravine. Atop the bluffs, a water tower and random house are all that break the horizon and allow one to mark their progress. A dune buggy, or a fisherman in an old jeep might be the only welcome distractions. 

Arriving at the beach, I found just a handful of people scattered across the endless sand. I wanted to find out why the beach was closed. Near the pathway that descends the bluff, I asked a couple who were leaving, but they only responded by shouting "What?", before continuing on their way. Another group of 5 made sure to look away as I approached. Maybe I looked like a town constable, I don't know.

But as I started walking eastward along the beach, I noticed a girl about my age (alright, a middle aged woman), with way too much makeup and too small a bathing suit, staring at me. She yelled something out to me, that I didn't comprehend.  JACKPOT!!!!

Her name was Michelle and she wanted to know if the gates were still closed.  I told her they were, and she proceeded to tell me the different theories as to why the beach was closed. Lying on her back and moving her legs in a windshield-wiper motion, she said she had heard several stories. One story claimed Brookhaven was overrun with illegal immigrants using the beach. Another involved late night parties and vandalism. The third was that the town was broke and could not afford to open the beach.

She asked me if I wanted to hang around, but I told her I had plans to meet some friends in Rocky Point later in the day. "Oh you are meeting friends" she responded. Rather than waste the next hour convincing her I was straight, I bid farewell and wandered eastward. In retrospect, I really should have taken a picture of her; she was a piece of work.

I continued on, meeting a college couple with a kayak and fishing pole, who were just waking up, and two ederly men with their grandchildren in a beached dory loaded with the summer essentials. They all told me  variations of the same stories. I found it odd that the reasons a beach was closed on a June weekend was still left to speculation and rumour. Why was there no community outrage? Was there a community? Had these small agricultural and weekend towns sold their soul to CVS and Home Depot long ago? Were the hungover college lovers, the two grandpas, Ms Cameltoe, and myself, the only people determined to visit a beach instead of spending a summer day at the mall?

Personally, I don't buy any of the reasons for closing Shoreham Beach! If there has been vandalism or trouble after-hours, restricting access to everyone does nothing to resolve the issue. Turning the beach into an abandoned park solves nothing. It only punishes those who are not a problem. As for the budget issues, in the broad sweep of things, beaches and parks are not the reason towns are broke. Also, it would be interesting to see how many corporations in the town of Brookhaven are screaming about socialism, yet also receive taxpayer subsidies.

There is more to this story, but it will take me 3 posts to complete. About a year ago, I wrote a post stating that if I was using a grading system, Caumsett State Park would receive an A, maybe an A+. I never chose to implement that grading system, but if I did, Shoreham Beach, despite its beauty, would receive an F, maybe an F-.

To be continued

New Ways To Lose

....I see new ways to lose, I never knew existed before.

Casey Stengel

Orient Beach State Park consists of 363 acres at the far end of Long Island's North Fork. Located slightly west of the Orient-New London ferry terminal, it is a narrow peninsula surrounded by oyster ponds and Gardiner's Bay. According to the park website, there is "45,000 feet of frontage on Gardiner's Bay and a rare maritime forest with red cedar, black-jack oak trees and prickly-pear cactus."

On a late afternoon last October,  I paid a short visit to this park for the first time in nearly a decade. I had about an hour to kill before I was scheduled to take the ferry back across the Sound, and hopefully, be home in time to watch the baseball playoff games that evening.

With spring now arriving, baseball isn't the only thing back in the news. There have been rumblings out of Albany that the state of New York will close up to 55 state parks and historic sites in an attempt to save money. Sadly, Orient Beach is one of the state parks listed to be closed. I postponed writing about this, believing it was just one of those bad ideas that would disappear in a week or two. Today, the first day of April, there is still a  possibility that this could occur. No April Fools joke about it!

Maybe it is just a sign of me getting older, but we seem to be in a decade of mixed messages and double-speak. We are told to save our money by going shopping; to use mass transit while services are cut; and at a time when Staycation has become a buzzword, local parks and public sites are scheduled to close.

Connecticut has not been immune from these bad ideas either. Money from the Long Island Sound License Plate Program was  grabbed by Hartford, and parks with surpluses, such as Harkness State Park have had their dollars transferred to the state's general fund. Meanwhile, park fees and fishing licenses have doubled in some cases.

The current economic crisis has brought on a lot of references to the Great Depression. I find it ironic that many of these parks were created in the 1930's. Today, we treat them as an unnecessary luxury, while we hand over billions of dollars to subsidize baseball stadiums. As much as I love the game of baseball, our fiscal priorities appear completely backwards. Sacrifices need to be made, but they shouldn't all be so lopsided. I may love to hear the sound of Play Ball!, but not at the expense of A Day In The Park.



Field Of Schemes:  Taxpayer Subsidized Sports Stadiums

New York Times: State Proposes Closing 55 Parks & Sites

Steve Fagin: Hijacking CT Park Fees; A Sharp Stick In The Eye

North Fork Vue: Fans Of Orient State Park

Newsday: NY Audubon: Don't Be Shortsighted About Parks

Saratogian: Senate Dems Say Parks Will Stay Open

Yonkers Tribune: $2 Billion Taxpayer Dollars Go To Yankees

From The North Fork: Orient Photos



You can stay updated on this issue by following me on Twitter.

Greenwich Point

This is the epicenter of the coastal access debate. Permission to enter the 147-acre Greenwich Point has been an issue brought to the courts several times these past two decades. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, here is a brief history.

In the 1990's, Stamford resident and law school student  Brenden Leydon was denied entry to Greenwich Point while jogging. The town maintained a policy that restricted entry to residents only. He filed suit in 1995, and the case made it's way to the State Supreme Court in 2001. The court ruled that Greenwich could not deny Mr Leydon access to a public space. Problem solved? Not so fast.

Greenwich opened their beach and park to nonresidents, but made sure to put in place a series of obstacles  for anyone who tried to visit. Fees for nonresidents were extremely high, plus a permit was required for entry. This nonresident permit could only be purchased at the town offices, which were miles away. Sure enough, the office was only open till 3:45 PM on weekdays, and closed on weekends. Take that,.. Supreme Court!

In 2005, 75 year old Paul Kempner rode his bike into Greenwich Point and was fined $92 for trespassing. He filed suit claiming that the fees charged for nonresidents were prohibitive. The town responded by lowering their fees, and allowing free entry for retirees. The permit requirement remains in effect.



Another case in 2005 involved three female residents of Greenwich who were excercising in the park.The black and Hispanic women (wives of former major league baseball players) were told that 3 people constituted a group, which requires a permit, and therefor they had to leave. Some incriminating emails from a town official later surfaced,  confirming the women's suspicions.

Greenwich has tried to portray themselves as a victim in this saga, but they have brought most of this bad publicity upon themselves.



From November 1 through April 30, Greenwich Point (aka Tod's Point) is open to all with no fees or residency permit required. The photos above show the south portion of the park between the lake and Bluff Point. A walkway curves along the shoreline, and is dotted with several wooden bridges that cross the tidal outlets of some nearby salt ponds.



Map

Connecticut Post: Public Access Not Always Easy

New York Times: One Man's Crusade

New York Times: In Greenwich, Group Hugs Are Few

CT Coastal Access Guide: Greenwich Point Park

Sphere: Don't Expect A Warm Welcome

West Wharf In Madison

The shoreline towns between New Haven and Old Lyme provide some of the most restrictive coastal access on Long Island Sound. There are a few exceptions, but most of the beaches and parks (and the roads that lead to them) are private communities. Apparently, it is illegal to walk down a public street, even in October. The corrupt and scandal-plagued Madison Police Department may turn a blind eye to prostitution and drug rings, but they still view an outsider taking pictures on the beach as a serious offense. To make a long story short, two squad cars arrived, and I got the hell out of town.

West Wharf in Madison is a small, resident only park that consists of a fishing pier, and some large rock outcroppings that provide excellent views of Falkner Island. When I visited this week, the demolition of the nearby Madison Beach Hotel attracted a small crowd to watch the destruction. With only residents of Madison in the crowd, the park was secure, and nothing could ever go wrong.

CT Coastal Access Guide: West Wharf

NY Times: Sprawling Exercise In Police Corruption

WSFB: Madison Prostitution Scandal

WTNH: Madison PD Needs Improvement

Map

Fees and Access

This time of year unfortunately brings restrictions and fees to many coastal access areas of Long Island Sound. I have little problem with a modest fee to park a car or enter a park, especially when it appears that the money is used to maintain the property. But fees do destroy the spontaneity of simply stopping by for 20 minutes or an hour. A walk along the beach after work or having your lunch at a waterfront park becomes less practical.
A bigger issue I have is with beaches and parks that are open to residents only. This is done in many underhanded ways. Oftentimes the beach is open to everyone, but a resident pass is needed to park a car. Other times the fees for a non-resident are outrageously high. A third, more cynical policy is to require visitors to purchase a non-resident pass at the town hall that is only open from 9am to 4pm on weekdays. The beach and the town hall are usually miles apart.
Originally these restrictions were only in place in a few exclusive enclaves that bordered larger urban areas. Now, residency requirements are quite common on both shores. In some cases I understand the need for them; but other times they disgust me. The argument is usually that residents pay the taxes to support the park, therefor access should be limited to them. What these residents usually ignore is the fact that they use the services and infrastructure of other municipalities without similar restrictions (imagine if every resident of Greenwich or Great Neck had to go to city hall before they could enter Central Park).
What is one to do? The state parks are open to all for a modest fee, but they are often crowded on summer weekends. There are also very few state (or county) parks in the western end of the Sound. Most of the places I have written about include a link that will provide information about access and fees. Also, if you have any questions about a particular place, you can email me and I will do my best to assist. Unfortunately, if you email me on a Thursday night, I may not be able to respond by Saturday morning. It may take me a week to respond.
That brings up another subject. As some of my regular visitors have already noticed, my pattern for posting has changed drastically. For most of the winter months, I posted two or three times a week. My schedule has changed and I presently have limited access to a computer (no internet access on the boat). I still hope to put together a similar number of posts each month, but they will come in bunches, followed by a week or so with no entries. The same holds true for the blogs and sites I visit. I may not comment regularly, but I am still checking in every ten days or so to see what you have posted.

Connecticut Coastal Access Guide
New York State Parks: Long Island
Westchester County Parks
New York City Parks
Rhode Island State Parks

Playland To Expand Shore Access

The New York Times and the Journal News both reported last week that county owned Playland Park in Rye will switch to an admission fee system next year for the amusement section. Budget shortfalls and amusement parks are not really my specialty, but what caught my eye was what the NY Times reported in the fifth paragraph of the story.

The Times wrote:
"The county will also open the park's shoreline from the Ice Casino to the Edith Read Sanctuary to the public for the first time and make it accessible year-round. Currently, only a third of the almost mile-and-a half stretch of beach is open to the public when the amusement park is operating between May and September."

I visited Playland in October, and one of the first things I noticed was that a gate had been installed on the road that leads to the Edith Read Sanctuary. One could still walk past the gate, but the small lot that kayakers use was no longer accessible. It will be interesting to see just how "accessible" the shoreline becomes, but this certainly sounds like very good news.

Another thing that caught my eye in the Times story was the comment made by Parks Commissioner Joseph A Stout. He stated:

"This will create the longest stretch of public access beach on either side of the Long Island Sound"

My first reaction was to wonder whether that is really true. It doesn't seem possible. Al Smith/Sunken Meadow Park in Suffolk County certainly has more beach. Even Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx has longer stretches of public access beach. Either the statement is false, or it is a carefully phrased comment that I am not fully grasping.
I will have to look into this further.

Thoughts & Rambles: Larchmont Manor Park

Whenever opposition to public access arises, I always think of Manor Park in Larchmont. For those of you not familiar, Manor Park is a privately owned and maintained, 13 acre space situated along the southwest entrance to Larchmont Harbor. There is no charge to enter the park during any season. Visitors do not need to first make a trip to the town hall with a utility bill, car registration, and bank statement to show proof of residency. There is no attendant at the entrance who charges $7 on weekdays and $9 on weekends. There is not even a fence around the park.



Manor Park is free for everyone, but it is not a free-for-all. There are rules, and plenty of them. Aside from the usual "dogs must be leashed" and "no ball playing" rules, the park also bans picnicking, blankets, chairs, food, and beverages. There is no biking, skating, fishing, or swimming allowed either. You cannot launch a kayak or sailboard from the park. Wedding photography requires a permit. Parking is not allowed on the streets that border the park. The only activities allowed seem to be walking, sitting, reading, and thinking. The cynic in me says that the rules are just a backhanded way of discouraging visitors. The idealist in me says that the rules are fine. If the Larchmont Manor Park Society truly wanted to keep out nonresidents, they could have installed a wrought iron gate with a card key system similar to Gramercy Park. According to the their website, the society receives no money from any government agency. It is within their right to restrict visitors, but they have not done so. The cynic in me is wrong this time.



A common theme heard in the coastal access debate is that small town parks need to restrict nonresidents because residents of nearby larger cities would overwhelm the park. If they wanted , Larchmont could make that claim too. The village borders the city of New Rochelle, while the Bronx line is only about a 6 mile drive down Boston Post Road. White Plains is less than 10 miles north via Rte 125. In all of my visits to Manor Park, it has never seemed crowded or overwhelmed. I realize that this is not a perfect argument due to the limited recreation available at Manor Park. Anyone looking to spend a Saturday swimming and picnicking is certainly not going to consider Manor Park. But then again, not everyone who visits Greenwich Point or Bayley Beach is looking to swim and picnic. Some visitors just want to walk, or read, or take in the scenery. Greenwich and Rowayton are not interested in what you plan to do, they simply do not want you there.



Another common argument is that the residents of Greenwich accept no state or federal money to maintain their parks, therefore they are free to restrict access. As I earlier noted, the Larchmont Manor Park Society receives no government money and could legally impose similar restrictions if they chose to. To their credit, they have not done so.



If you visit, be sure to respect the rules that are posted, and be careful to observe the parking signs. Your best bet is to park on one of the cross streets, two or three blocks north. A hidden benefit here is that you will be able to view some of the Victorian and center hall Colonials that line the Manor. The striated rocks that border the shore make for a beautiful scene. The stone walls and steps that wind through the park complement the beauty. Manor Park is truly unique, and it is open to everyone at no charge. That is a rare commodity in this vicinity. Just be sure to leave your cooler and beach towel at home.



Manor Park Web Album

Soundbounder: Umbrella Point

Trail Of Fears

Even simple things become complicated. The New London Day had a story on Friday about residents along Groton Long Point Road opposing a three foot wide trail through the Mortimer Wright Preserve that would connect to Haley Farm State Park. The residents brought up a list of concerns ranging from traffic to contaminated wells. Call me naive, but I did not realize that these footpaths could be so destructive.

The Day reports:
"Resident Bobbi Jo Cini said Wednesday she has concerns about horses using the trail, fearing manure could affect her well and wetlands on the Wright property. She also said the town would need state Department of Transportation permits for a trail to cross a state road. Groton Long Point Road "is not safe" she said, as cars tend to speed and even get into accidents. "Who is going to be liable for that?" she asked.
Resident Frank Jannarone , who mows the parking area for the trail, also opposed the proposal, saying the current trail system is adequate and used frequently. He also said mountain bikes could damage the area."



Usually nature preserves are a win-win situation. They protect open space, and provide a natural environment for the public to enjoy. Adjacent landowners often benefit from them in the form of higher property values. Residents never have to worry about looking out their kitchen window at a cul-de-sac of McMansions and power lines. The trade off is that the land is open to the public.

The residents in this story want to have it both ways. They like the privacy and the wooded environment that the preserve provides, but they do not want to encourage access. They prefer that the nature preserve remains a wooded extension of their own property. I cannot help but suspect that their environmental concerns are manufactured. Has there ever been a case of well water being contaminated by an occasional horseback rider?

I am sure there are legitimate concerns that need to be addressed. No one wants the trail to become a hangout for vandals or teenage parties (the recent vandalism at Mianus River State Park comes to mind). No one wants the land to become a littered mess that does more harm than good. I would respect those concerns. What I do not respect is someone creating a bunch of false alarms in the name of environmentalism.

Stamford: A Tale Of Two Parks

I visited Cove Island Park in Stamford yesterday. It is a beautiful space that combines open lawns and a sandy beach, with a rocky shoreline and tidal marsh. I walked the perimeter of the park, stopping briefly to watch the waters of Holly Pond retreat through the falls of the old tide mill. It made for a beautiful afternoon.

With plenty of daylight remaining, I decided to stop at Cummings Park which is about two miles away. It might as well have been 50 miles away. The park was empty, with the exception of a few parked cars and an occupant who kept staring at me. The fishing pier was in ruins, picnic tables were broken, and every structure seemed rusted, and in need of painting. The buildings had all the charm of a department of motor vehicles.

I realize that every park is not going to be as nice as Cove Island. But I do question how one park can be so beautifully maintained, while another is allowed to decay? I think I know the answer to my question, but this is my first post, and I was hoping to avoid politics!

Web Album: Cummings Park
and Cove Island Park