Heeding Critics, City Revises Beach-Surfing Schedule

After avid Long Beach beach-goers blasted a newly proposed beach schedule for 2013, criticizing the plan for favoring surfers over sunbathers and swimmers, the city revised the plan earlier this week.

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Residents who criticized the original plan at the May 7 City Council meeting said it divided a portion of the beach into five blocks, from Grand to Magnolia boulevards, allowed surfers to use two of those blocks on a rotation basis throughout the summer, and would overcrowd the beach with surfers.

Kerri Gustavson, a West Walnut Street resident whose husband is a surfer, said each beach is its own summer community for many residents and that "it is not OK to just ask us to move." Gustavson said that under the original plan she would be deprived of using Lindell Beach for half of the summer and will always been on a beach that is twice as crowded.

"This plan is unfair and unbalanced," Gustavson told the council during the good and welfare portion of the meeting. "It unfairly targets the West Holme area."

On Tuesday, though, City Manager Jack Schnirman released a new proposal that reduces surfing blocks in that area to one beach that would rotate among the five between May 25 and Sept. 3, according to Newsday.

Critics at Tuesday's meeting were also upset that city officials created the original schedule with the local surfers without public input.

Jaime Lynch, a Walks resident who frequents Lafayette beach, said that the city and its residents were re-visting the same issue as last year. "When you all were elected, this was the group that said we're going to be open and transparent and we're going to talk to you and have town meetings," Lynch told the majority Democrat council. "Now we're revisiting this issue one more time and nobody knew about it except for the emails that were sent to me."

" ... This is a bad plan," Lynch added about the original proposal, “and you need to involve everyone who lives in this community.”

Will Hallet, a West End resident and member of the Long Beach Surfers Association, opened the good and welfare session by saying that they weren’t trying to put over anything on anyone.

“If two beaches in that area is too much, then so be it," said Hallet, who called for the original plan to be revised.

LBSA President Billy Kupferman said that he has never looked to do anything behind closed doors, that he's happy to discussed matters publicly, and that others should not assume the surfers are "out to get everyone else."

"Do we need more surfing space, I believe we do," said Kupferman, who indicated how overcrowded Long Beach waters have become with surfers. "If the rest of the community doesn't agree, then don't do it. Then kids will end up getting hurt and that's what's going to happen."

Council Vice President Fran Adelson said that the plan was an administrative decision and not based on a council vote. "We will go back to the administration and ask them to revisit this," said Adelson, who earlier in the meeting noted that she received several e-mails about the original plan. 

The city said the original schedule was based on public feedback from a public hearing last year, according to Newsday. The city said it will post the new schedule on its website and take feedback from the public before finalizing the plan.

At the May 7 meeting the city set its beach summer season schedule, which will be open May 25-27, June 1-2, June 8-9, June 15-16, and June 22 to Sept. 2.

• Resident family plans cost $60 for the season.
• Nonresident families pay $120.
  
• The city’s beach pass for resident individuals is $40 and nonresident individuals is $80.
• The economy plan, which allows 10 admissions to the beach during the season, is $80.
• The beach day pass is $12.
  

Passes are on sale at the gazebo outside the Long Beach Ice Arena, at 150 West Bay Dr. The office is open weekdays 8:30am to 8:30 pm, weekends 9 am to 6 pm.

Visit www.longbeachny.gov/beach for a complete schedule of sale times and fees.

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