Lyons To Sign Resident-Only Beach Parking Executive Order

MADISON, CT — First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons will sign an executive order Thursday that restricts access to all three town beach parking lots to residents only on Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

Lyons also said that licensed summer camps may open on June 29 "with very specific guidelines," which she said would be announced May 15. The town is also canceling all programming for the month of June, she said.

Lyons said the town requires anyone who visits town beaches and parks to adhere to social distancing directives and wear a mask while in public.

"We must remain vigilant and stay the course as long as possible in order to protect our community," she said.

The town has 99 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and 13 people have died. But Lyons the "steady rise continues to be primarily linked to difficulties at a local skilled nursing facility."

With beach weather on the horizon, Lyons said, "Many have recently expressed concerns about public safety at our beaches, including increased visitor traffic and possible overcrowding, particularly given our proximity to Hammonasset."

The policy is intended to reduce visitor volume at town facilities, Lyons said, and allow for appropriate social distancing. she said, adding that the town will continue to limit available parking spaces at the Surf Club in order to manage beach capacity and ensure the public follows appropriate health guidelines.

Details on beach parking, from Lyons' message

"This new parking policy on weekends will go into effect this Saturday, May 9 and is anticipated to stay in place until July 31. Proof of residency must be presented at the gate from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and can include a 2020 beach sticker, a Connecticut driver’s license with Madison address, or a car registration and/or local tax bill with proof of ID. More details on this executive order and hours of operation will be available on the town website by the end of this week.

Please note that beach stickers will be the only acceptable proof of residency starting June 20th. This date may be moved up depending on the finalization and roll-out of in-person and on-line sales programs. In the meantime, we encourage residents to purchase their stickers now by mail in order to avoid any delays at the gates.