Letters

As confirmed in last week’s press article, the Southampton Trustees are proposing to convert beaches in Hampton Bays and East Quogue into parking lots during peak summer hours in an attempt to settle a lawsuit in Southampton Village [“Proposed Pilot Beach Driving on East Quogue’s Triton Lane Beach Elicits Pro and Con Comments,” 27east.com, April 26]. What is now evident is that the Trustees and their attorneys have not been transparent with the public as to the serious risks involved with changing our beach driving rules.

To start, much of the beach from the Shinnecock Inlet to the Tiana Beach pavilion is owned by Suffolk County. The Trustees only have easements. Changing beach parking rules along any section of this beach will prompt the county to demand that all county residents share the same parking rights. Our beaches will be swamped with parked trucks from all over the county. Alternatively, a public backlash could result in the county imposing more restrictions on beach driving or even designating some areas as nature sanctuaries, prohibiting all driving.

New York State could be forced to get involved and reevaluate whether the threatened and endangered species on the beach, (piping plovers, oyster catchers, terns and skimmers) are further threatened by the proposed changes to beach parking rules. Furthermore, beach erosion has diminished habitat, and New York State may declare that our beaches are too narrow to support both beach driving and threatened species. The state can be forced into action because any citizen (who is upset about the rules changes) will likely sue everyone — the Trustees, Southampton Town, Suffolk County and New York State.

Before the Town Board votes on changing the rules, they should poll the group most impacted, peak summertime beachgoers. If a poll were taken on our beaches during a peak summer day, a safe estimate is that 90 percent would say the beach driving rules should remain the same or even be more restrictive, and 10 percent would say turning our beaches into parking lots is a good idea. Moreover, the 10 percent might change their minds if they knew that changing the rules could backfire and cause them to lose their existing beach driving privileges.

Settling one lawsuit is not advisable if the settlement conditions will likely spawn more lawsuits. There are many people in the town and county who believe that driving on the beach harms the wildlife and spoils its natural beauty. Converting our beaches into a parking lot during peak summertime hours will motivate them to act. It only takes one to file a new lawsuit.

Anthony DePalma

Hampton Bays