“For the sake of our state, please get to work on legislation that is forward thinking and smart, not divisive and attention getting.”
Greenwich First Selectman Fred CamilloLemar’s proposal would prevent a town from charging more than Connecticut does for state parks. But, since 2018, there has been no fee for CT residents to enter state parks including, for example, Hammonasset State Park in Madison where there is 2 miles of beach. To make this possible, an increase in vehicle registration fees was passed by the General Assembly.
Lemar’s legislation goes way beyond the Laydon law suit and the issue of free speech.
But it doesn’t feel different to residents, who again ask why should they foot the bill through their property taxes to staff and maintain the beach for non residents?
State Rep Steve Meskers, a Democrat whose 150th district covers the shoreline from Byram to Old Greenwich, said the Town’s existing policy is reasonable and has already been tested in court.
“We attempt to give fair and reasonable access to non-residents,” he said.
“We’re a community of 60,000 people with limited beach resources primarily maintained by the residents of Greenwich,” Meskers added.
Also, because of the fee for cars, there is already the problem of non residents parking illegally on neighboring streets, and walking or biking in with just a day pass.
“Am I supposed to give a first come first served to a resident of Stamford and charge the same price?” he asked.
Meskers, who noted that the Town only has one functioning beach – The beach in Byram Park is small and the main draw is a swimming pool – wondered whether town residents might get a break on their taxes if they lose priority at the beach?
Further, he said there is a perception that Greenwich is a wealthy, homogeneous community. It is not.
“We represent a diverse community,” he said. “People fail to realize that.”
“It would be unfair for a system that is already constrained by sized and a large and diverse population to essentially grant priority to non residents,” Meskers said.
“Greenwich is an economically diverse community of residents with limited capacity at the beach. In trying to balance needs of residents with non residents, I think we’ve struck a fair bargain.“
State Rep Steve Meskers (D-150)
According to the Greenwich United Way, in 2020, 29% of households in Greenwich were at poverty (7%) or ALICE (27%) (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), meaning unable to afford life’s basic necessities.
Further, Parks & Rec issues about 1,000 free beach passes annually to those in need.
Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo also said he thinks the Town’s existing policy is fair.
“With Connecticut ranked consistently near the bottom of the list when it comes to business friendliness and economic competitiveness, I would hope legislators devote their attention to returning Connecticut to a prominent place in commerce,” he said. “We can be a vibrant economy again if we make tough decisions for the state as a whole, and not just what plays well in one’s legislative district.”
Camillo said bills like Lamer’s distract from more urgent issues at hand.
“In Greenwich we were one of the only towns to remain open to non-residents during the pandemic, save for when we entered a red zone. Our beach access policy has been very measured, open, and well thought out, as well as reasonable and fair.”
Camillo’s parting message: “For the sake of our state, please get to work on legislation that is forward thinking and smart, not divisive and attention getting.”
Along with Senator Martin Looney and others, State Rep Lemar has introduced several bills concerning affordable housing:
SB00487 would permit a housing authority to expand its area of operation to include certain high or very high opportunity census tract within a fifteen-mile radius
SB00551 would require that 50% of land within 1/2 mile of transit stations and commercial corridors be zoned for multi-family housing and that accessory dwelling units be permitted as of right.
SB00808 would amend CT General Statutes to (1) require an additional property tax for any municipality in which less than 10% of all dwelling units are affordable housing, and (2) use the revenue from such additional property tax to fund social services, affordable housing and other support programs in other municipalities
State Rep Lamar also proposed SB00744 “To define further the property tax exemption applicable to property owned by Yale University.”
He is married to Anika Singh Lemar, a Yale-based attorney, who is an advocate for State interventions in local zoning.
Ms Singh Lemar, who opposes any weakening of section 8-30g in the CT General statutes, is involved with a test case in Woodbridge where there is no multi family zoning.
The suggestion is that the town’s regulations have kept out low and middle income families who are disproportionately Black and Hispanic. They are asking Woodbridge’s Planning & Zoning Commission to approve an application for a four-unit house on a 1-1/2 acre zoned for a single-family home.
See also:
Jumping through Hoops to Get to the Beach
June 2020
COVID-19 UPDATE: Camillo Orders Town Parks & Beaches Closed
March 2020
Serious Overcrowding at Tod’s Point May Result in Increased Police Presence Next Summer
December 2015
Are Greenwich Beaches Too Crowded?
August 2015