For a town who has the highest senior population in the state of Rhode Island, we need an accessible beach ... I don't think it's fair that we have to rush to the gate to get in there in the morning.”

Jeff Raposo

It’s a public beach. And so it’s first come, first serve. If we reserved spots for the residents, is it realistic for us to say we’re going to refuse paying customers just in case residents come down to fill up these extra 50 spots? I think that's irresponsible for the management of the beach. We need to collect revenue to run the beach.”

South Shore Beach manager Jim Farrell

With the summer season rapidly approaching, a handful of Little Compton residents –– a crowd, by the small town’s standards –– sat in on the Beach Commission meeting last Tuesday to air their grievances about South Shore Beach.

The group, led by resident Jeff Raposo, sought to inform the commissioners of their critiques on the beach’s alleged pitfalls: Overcrowding, inaccessibility, and what some say is unfair preference for out-of-towners.

“We’re not getting a good quality of life,” stated Raposo, who has lived in Little Compton since 2020. “There’s no parking spaces. The beach is overcrowded. And it’s very difficult for the residents to have access to beach.”

Raposo and a few like-minded residents told commission members that they disapprove of the “shunning” that town residents reportedly receive when the beach parking lot fills up, a point strongly contested by Jim Farrell, the beach’s manager.

"The lot was not closed [to town residents] once last year. Not one resident was turned around,” Farrell insisted. “If you were turned around, it was because you weren’t identified properly as a town resident.”

The beach situation in Little Compton gets more and more dire every summer, agreed the group of displeased residents, and it's not just the constant accumulation of rocks that are the issue. The “incredible overcrowding” due to the beach’s “overselling” of beach stickers is something that disgruntled local, Sheri Massa, believes should be re-examined. The commission confirmed that in 2021, Little Compton sold 391 seasonal passes, 3,271 weekend passes, and 6,095 weekday passes, and that the parking lot can fit 250 cars.

“They just hope that everybody doesn't show up at the same time,” Massa posited.

With a budget of around $230,000, Beach Commissioner Samantha Snow regarded the abundance of sticker sales as “extremely necessary.” Snow explained that stickers and camper permits are the commission's only source of income –– it is not funded by taxpayer money and is entirely self-supporting.

“Lifeguard salaries, dumpsters, porta-Johns, maintaining the parking lot ... these are the bare minimum costs,” she said. “None of your solutions would collect the money that we need.”

Massa, a long-time Little Compton resident, said she has given up trying to get into the beach on those “ridiculously crowded” summer days, but not for a lack of trying. She recalls that many times she attempted to give South Shore another chance, the final straw was her getting urinated on by a neighboring child “too close” to her spot in the sand.

A final point brought up by the group was the issue of accessibility –– an area in which Raposo believes the beach lacks.

“For a town who has the highest senior population in the state of Rhode Island, we need an accessible beach ... I don't think it's fair that we have to rush to the gate to get in there in the morning,” he said, referring to the beach’s 8 a.m. opening to non-residents. “Especially people that are older that have some ambulatory problems. I don't think it's fair.”

Currently, South Shore Beach opens at 8 a.m. for out-of-towners, but the Commission urges Little Compton residents to get there earlier to beat the crowd –– the gates open at 5 a.m. for locals. Some residents claim that out-of-towners form a line down South Shore Road nearly an hour before the morning opening to claim their seaside spot.

“I’ve met people from Berkley, Assonet, Taunton,” remarked Massa. “And as I'm talking to all these different people over the course of the summer, I’m thinking: They have a state beach, why aren’t they accessing it? Why come all this way?”

Massa said her main concern regarding the beach’s apparent attraction of out-of-towners is due to the disrespect and lack of care she feels they exhibit toward the town. “If you don't live in town and you don't respect the environment, you're not going to take care of [South Shore] the way we would.”

In an attempt to respond to concerns and attenuate what had become a heated conversation, Farrell spoke up: “It’s a public beach. And so it’s first come, first serve. If we reserved spots for the residents, is it realistic for us to say we’re going to refuse paying customers just in case residents come down to fill up these extra 50 spots?” he asked. “I think that's irresponsible for the management of the beach. We need to collect revenue to run the beach.”

Both Massa and Raposo have written numerous letters to the editor regarding their issues, but maintain that nobody on the commission is listening. “We can’t understand how they hold this power. They’re not listening to the town residents and we don’t know what they’re representing,” Massa said.

Raposo, Massa, and their fellow supporters gave various suggestions to commission members, who in the end agreed to look into solutions and further discuss the possibility of delaying the beach’s official opening time to 9 or 10 a.m., giving Little Comptoners an extra hour or so before non-residents are permitted to enter. Another proposed possibility to improve the beach situation was the designation and enforcement of Taylor’s Lane Beach as a ‘Resident Only’ beach, which Commissioner Mikel Folcarelli saw as a fair idea.

“We’re here because of access for residents. That’s the big issue for us,” Raposo said. “Nobody’s saying that you’re not trying to do the best you can. We just need access for town residents. That's the kick.”

“Most of all, I’d just like to be able to –– as an older person –– go back to the beach that I always went to,” Massa pitched in. “That’s it.”

South Shore Beach opens in late May

South Shore beach opens on Saturday, May 27 for Memorial Day weekend. The beach will operate on weekends only until Monday, June 19, after which it will open seven days a week until Monday, Sept. 4, pending weather closures. While the beach is operational, the general public may access it from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with hours are subject to change. Access is reserved for town residents and season pass holders between the hours of 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., and 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. Lifeguards are on duty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and night security from 4 to 11 p.m. The beach closes for the night at 11 p.m., with exception to overnight campers.

Those interested in applying for a 2023 Camper Permit can access the application under the beach section of the town website, littlecomptonri.org. The application cutoff date is June 15.

The parking lot is set to be repaired before opening weekend, ensuring approximately 250 parking spots. Parking spots are reserved daily for town residents and season pass holders. Non-resident ticket prices are as follows: Weekday Pass $20, Weekend Day Pass $25 (applicable to cars and motorcycles), Day Campers $40, Overnight Campers $50, Weekly Pass $75, Season Pass $250, Fire Permit $10. Money collected is deposited to the Town of Little Compton’s general fund as stipulated by the state of Rhode Island’s 1939 enabling legislation (Sec. 6). While the ticket shack will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., town stickers, season passes, and fire permits can only be obtained between the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Town stickers will be available on opening day, but expect delays. Sticker requests may be postponed depending on traffic conditions.