East Hampton Village changes eligibility for resident beach passes

One of the best things about living in the Village of East Hampton is the ability to walk into Village Hall and get a free parking pass for its world-famous beaches.

People who do not live in the village can try to buy a seasonal beach parking pass for $375, but they are in limited supply and normally sell out well before the start of summer.

On Friday, the village board voted to close a loophole in its code that might have allowed some people to get parking passes to which they were not entitled.

The village lets some people who are not property owners have free beach parking passes -- domestic help who live with property owners, for example, or tenants who lease a house on a year-round basis.

The village board voted, 4-0, to amend a part of the code that allowed relatives “by blood or marriage” who reside at a village property owner’s residence to get a free permit as well. The board made the change to give passes to residents, not visitors.

The action was taken because some people were coming to stay with relatives in the village for a short time in the summer and applying for beach passes using the relatives'  addresses.

Under the new code change, those relatives must get an affidavit signed and notarized by a property owner that they are residing with them, not just visiting.

Those relatives can also show their own proof of residence, such as a driver’s license or a utility bill with a village address.