Oyster Bay nixes beach pass changes for seniors, disabled

Oyster Bay officials quickly reversed a new policy that would have required seniors and disabled people to get daily beach passes at no cost instead of receiving a free season parking sticker.

The town announced the daily pass system in a May 4 news release, but by last week officials had reverted back to issuing free season stickers to seniors and those with disabilities.

“The thought was to sort of limit contact because the daily pass can be put on the windshield, rather than have to affix the sticker to the cars,” town spokesman Brian Nevin said. “But it seemed that more people had an interest in getting the sticker affixed to their cars, so the [town] clerk and the [town] supervisor reversed their policy.”

There is one change with the newest policy: Seniors and the disabled this season will not need to obtain and show a town-issued beach ID card to get their season parking sticker. Instead they will need to show their driver’s license and car registration from behind their vehicle’s window upon their first visit to a town beach, and town employees will then affix the sticker to their vehicle.

Seniors, which for the purposes of beach entry the town defines as 60 and older, and those with disabilities, can also go to the beach in someone else’s vehicle and get a free day parking pass for that vehicle upon showing their driver’s license or beach ID.

The beach ID’s, which will not be needed this year, are available for $32 from the town clerk’s office for Oyster Bay residents over the age of 60 and do not expire.

The season stickers are available to all residents for $60 and were slated to go on sale May 16. Day parking passes for residents cost $20.