The Southampton Town Trustees will hold a public hearing on Monday, February 8, at 1 p.m. on an effort to change when people are allowed to drive on ocean beaches.
Some of the language being proposed in the new rules is the result of a recent denial of appeal on January 7 that denied the Trustees the right to regulate ocean beaches within the boundaries of incorporated villages. The new language would reinforce the Trustees’ right to regulate driving on ocean beaches in the unincorporated parts of town, but not on village beaches.
The new rules would ban four-wheel-drive vehicles on ocean beaches in unincorporated areas of the town between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. starting the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, and continuing through September 15. Previously, the language had included village beaches as well.
The resolution will also require those who drive on beaches outside of incorporated villages to have a resident ID, issued by the Town Trustees, displayed on the front bumper of the vehicle.
The change comes after a rejection by the State Court of Appeals, handed down on January 7, that left the Trustees and others uncertain if board members now retain any regulatory authority within the villages.
Greg Wehner on Feb 3, 2016