Southold Town shuts down popular beach over erosion from winter's storms

The snow may be long gone, but Southold residents will feel the impact of the brutal winter all summer after severe erosion and crumbling pavement prompted the town to shut down a popular soundfront beach for the season.

Winter storms battered the shoreline at Lt. George R. Sullivan Town Beach, the town’s most-used facility with prime sunset views. The edge of the asphalt parking lot also collapsed, leaving a 5-foot drop between the parking lot and sand.

Town officials discussed the beach conditions Tuesday morning and agreed to keep the beach closed to swimmers this summer as they focus on a long-term solution. The town will not staff the beach with lifeguards or beach attendants.

“To encourage residents to go there to bathe, to possibly navigate what is almost a cliff at this point might be something we want to discourage,” Janet Douglass, the town’s recreation supervisor, told the town board during a work session.

Douglass sought clarity on the beach status from the board as she begins hiring seasonal staff.

She said the decision is “heartbreaking” but was made with safety in mind. “To take on Mother Nature is a battle that we're just not going to win at this point in time.”

Town Beach is one of six bathing beaches in Southold, according to Douglass. Certified bathing beaches must be staffed with lifeguards and inspected by the Suffolk County Department of Health, she said.

Barricades have blocked the entrance to the beach parking lot, though town officials may restore limited parking access.

Erick Haas, the town’s maintenance supervisor, plans to post signage warning people to keep off the beach. He said taking the barriers down could open up an outlook for residents. 

“People like to watch the sunset,” Haas said Tuesday.

Haas also said crews will attempt to move a gazebo that had been on the beach onto the parking lot.

“There’s no guarantee that it’s going to stay together,” he said.

Without beach attendants, the beach's restroom facilities will also remain closed this summer, officials said.  

Town Supervisor Al Krupski called for a longer-term solution at the popular beach where erosion is a constant battle.

Last year, town crews replenished 500 cubic yards of sand at the beach, which was renamed for George Sullivan, the longtime town tax receiver and late Marine Corps veteran. He earned a Navy Cross for heroic acts in Vietnam.

“Just before Memorial Day, it got spread on the beach, clean sand, and within one day, all that sand was gone,” Krupski said. “And it wasn’t even a storm.”

The town plans to meet with county, state and federal partners on April 2 to discuss a strategy for repairs and long-term stability, the supervisor said.

Raising that portion of Route 48 near Town Beach is a key part of the county’s coastal resiliency study. Krupski said repairs to the beach should be tied into a road-raising project.