Long Beach To Limit Beach Access To Residents, Reopen Boardwalk

LONG BEACH, NY — The Long Beach City Council at a meeting Tuesday night announced it will reopen the boardwalk and limit beach access to residents for the near feature.

In the hope of stopping an influx of beachgoers from New York City over the weekend, Long Beach will be restricting access to the beach to residents only, although non-residents who have already purchased beach passes may also come to the beach. Only those with proof of residency will be able to purchase beach passes. Masks will be required to access the beach and they will be limited to 50 percent capacity.

The measure is going into effect immediately, but is only expected to be temporary, the City Council said. It will be reviewed in a few weeks.

“Out of an abundance of caution and to safeguard the well-being of City of Long Beach residents, we are implementing these protective, temporary measures that we will re-evaluate as we head into the summer months,” said Long Beach City Council President John Bendo. “We look forward to welcoming the hundreds of thousands of visitors to Long Beach from the neighboring communities in the future. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will enact these restrictive but lifesaving measures until further notice."

Valid proof of residency includes a driver's license with a Long Beach address, a photo identification and check with a Long Beach address, and a photo ID and a current bill/lease with a Long Beach address.

In addition, the city is also reopening the boardwalk. It will only be for "active use" and no gatherings will be allowed.

Here are the rules that the city is implementing:

Boardwalk protocols

• Masks must be worn on the boardwalk when social distancing of six feet is not possible. Signs will be placed throughout the boardwalk reminding people to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
• Bike use on the boardwalk will be limited and access allowed only from sunrise until 10 a.m. daily in order to accommodate social distancing throughout the most highly trafficked portions of the day.
• No gathering or idling will be allowed on boardwalk entrance or exit ramps. Signs will be placed on all ramps telling people not to stop on ramps, as doing so makes social distancing impossible for those trying to enter or exit the boardwalk.
• The boardwalk will be open for active use. No gatherings will be allowed. Every other boardwalk bench will be blocked off in order to discourage gatherings.
• Bathrooms will be opened and maintained by beach maintenance. Signs will be placed at each noting admittance is limited to two individuals at a time and that social distancing must be maintained while on line. Beach maintenance is hiring additional staff to ensure sufficient cleaning and stocking of facilities. Spacing lines will be established at the entrance of each facility.
• The boardwalk will be continually patrolled by Special Police reminding people to maintain social distancing.

Beach protocols

• Visitors to the beach that don’t live together must maintain social distancing of six feet. No groupings of more than 10 individuals will be allowed. Signs outlining these rules will be placed at each ticket booth and on the beach itself at high-traffic areas.
• Possession of a mask/facial covering is a requirement, as visitors cannot predict whether or not they will be put in a situation where they are unable to maintain social distance.
• No group sports will be allowed. Volleyball and other such games involving shared items or those that could result in non-adherence to social distancing will not be allowed.
• Special Police and uniformed officers will be patrolling the beach to enforce guidelines. Lifeguards will remind visitors of guidelines when necessary to deter non-adherence.
• Lifeguards and LBPD will constantly monitor capacity at each beach. If an individual beaches approach capacity where adherence to social distancing is getting difficult, access to said beach will be closed and LBPD will direct visitors east and/or west.
• Beach showers will remain off until further notice.
• As per usual, lifeguards are not on duty until the beach officially opens, so swimming is prohibited until that time.
• Both the Magnolia Gazebo and the Beach Park Trailer at Broadway and Laurelton will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays for residential season and daily passes (resident daily passes only sold when beach is open). Social distancing guidelines will be enforced and masks will be required when making purchases.
• In an effort to assist our senior population and those with disabilities in purchasing passes during this pandemic, there will be a special access line at the Gazebo on Tuesdays and Thursday from 8 to 9 a.m. Please be advised that this is for seniors 62 and over with proper I.D., and those with proper documentation indicating disability. Also, note that it is one Senior/Access Pass per proper ID.