To the editor:

All is not well at Barrington Beach. I use the beach often and have noticed two main issues of concern:

1) Lack of parking for town residents and taxpayers.

2) The parking lot is congested and requires re-configuration to improve maneuverability and safety.

As to item one, on multiple occasions this summer, town residents were unable to park in the parking lot as spaces were occupied by non-residents who now have passes to park and use the beach. Beach parking is hard to come by as residents and non-residents have access.

See what the town manager says about the beach.

Compounding the lack of parking is the fact that the new lot has much fewer parking spaces than in previous years.

For example, on Sunday, Aug. 7, the main lot was so filled with non-residents that attendees told incoming town residents to park on adjacent streets which were clearly marked “no parking.” The so-called “overflow lot” was chained closed apparently on instruction from the Park and Recreation Director due to a later concert which caused a continual traffic jam. Prior to the concert, elderly town residents and mothers with children were directed to park on Chachapacassett and trudge down Bay Road with chairs, umbrellas, and the like. 

This is disgraceful as the town has resources to provide adequate services to taxpaying residents.

To address this concern, I strongly recommend that the council return to the policy which for years effectively limited beach use to only Barrington residents and taxpayers wherein we didn’t have these parking problems.

As to item two, the parking lot needs to be slightly expanded to provide more convenient parking and backing out of vehicles. On several occasions, residents have damaged their cars due to the tightness of the spaces (side to side and back to back) and the obstructive wooden guardrails.

The parking lot can easily be improved with minor modifications which any engineer can readily lay-out.

I ask the council to take action on these matters.

Sincerely,

Ronald D. Russo

Barrington