The Parks & Recreation Commission at its 80-minute meeting Thursday evening voted 4–0 to endorse a capital grant proposal to fund manual gates at Sandy Beach in order to increase security there.
Commissioner Cynthia Esthimer has been serving as a member of an ad hoc committee that previously analyzed the beach for safety concerns regarding parking and the condition of the dock. The biggest issue over the past couple of summers has been the lack of security gates, she noted.
The committee had been deliberating over whether electric or manual gates would be preferable, Esthimer said. She mentioned a “$25,000 opportunity put forward by the town manager” where residents or groups could apply for funding for a project “that falls in the alignment and goals of the town vision.” The application, she noted, is due by Jan. 30.
Gates are needed at the entrance and exit to Sandy Beach’s parking lots because “we have quite a circus in the summer,” Esthimer said.
Parks & Recreation Director Jay Guelfi said he observed people last summer dropping people off at the entrance. They would then be loitering around the gate and waiting until the attendant was occupied and “just kind of shuffle in.”
The initial option proposed was for electronic gates with a token or similar system, but this idea has been put aside for now, Esthimer explained. This would allow the committee time to draft a proposal for funding from the Community Preservation Committee that would not only incorporate these gates but also include renovations to the parking lot.
Guelfi explained that a CPC request would have to go before Town Meeting in 2024 if approved. The gate system may not be able to be implemented by that Memorial Day because there is only a two-week window between Town Meeting and the holiday. The parking lot most likely would need to be regraded and resurfaced after an engineering study, he noted.
Another idea Esthimer suggested doing now is requesting $5,000 for two 20-foot-long manual-lift gates. They could either be operated by parking lot attendants or raised and lowered by beachgoers.
Sabine St. Pierre of the Lake Maspenock Preservation Association told the commission that the biggest concern is at the exit. While attendants have been occupied selling and verifying the beach parking passes, people have been parking down the street and sneaking into the exit area, she explained.
“A lot of people are bypassing having to pay,” she said, noting that some people are non-residents at the resident-only beach.
St. Pierre said an electronic gate would make sense at the exit because no one would have to man it.
“At least it’s deterring all this traffic from coming in,” she said. “I think the more official we start looking down there, the more we can deter it.”
Commission chair Dan Terry noted that gate monitors would be needed primarily on weekends and holidays. Guelfi explained that a new position that had not been budgeted for this year would have to be created. The cost would be about $1,920 for the summer.
“We need to get incremental improvements down there,” Terry said.
Commissioner Amy O’Donnell said “the best route now” would be a manual system for $5,000. This would allow the department and commission time to better analyze what would be the most effective system.
St. Pierre volunteered to submit to the request to the Town Hall, noting that she would be submitting it as a resident. She also is an LMPA officer and a member of the ad hoc committee. The committee voted to endorse St. Pierre’s request 4–0.
Said Terry: “It’s somewhere between a baby step and a bigger step.”