The East Hampton Town Board has raised the prices of its nonresident beach parking passes ahead of what officials believe will be a busy season.
Seasonal nonresident parking passes will increase from $375 to $500, while a single-day pass will double to $50, according to the Southampton Press. Family member parking stickers will increase from $100 to $150. Nonresident four-wheel drive permits will also rise, to $400.
The board is expected to raise the price of passes for hotel and motel guests after meeting with business owners.
Home sales have jumped in the Hamptons since the pandemic took hold, but so too did demand for rentals last summer.
In March, East Hampton halted the sale of nonresident passes, as the pandemic spread and officials said enforcing social distancing pushed up operating costs. The hike in pass prices may deter some from making the trek out to the East End as well.
The town lost control of its popular beach, Truck Beach, in a court decision earlier this month. An appeals court ruled that the 4,000-foot beach belongs not to the town but the people who live along it. [SP] — Dennis Lynch