[Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Westhampton
Beach 12-4-2014 by L.L. No. 7-2014. Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known as "Vehicles on Beaches."
It is hereby declared and found that the operation of motorized
vehicles on the ocean beaches in the Village of Westhampton Beach
is a matter affecting the public interest and consequently should
be subject to the supervision and control of municipal authority for
the purpose of safeguarding the public. The requirements imposed by
the Trustees of the Town of Southampton with respect to driving motorized
vehicles on the beaches should be adopted so that the Village is able
to enforce these requirements.
A.
When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present
tense include the future words, in the plural number include the singular
number, and words in the singular number include the plural number.
The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory.
B.
OCEAN BEACH AREA
For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have
the meanings indicated:
Those premises along the Atlantic Ocean bounded on the north
by the crest of the dunes, on the south by the low-water mark of the
Atlantic Ocean, on the east by the easterly Village line and on the
west by the westerly Village line.
The following requirements shall apply to all ocean beach areas, as that term is defined in § 187-3.
A.
No person shall drive or operate a motor vehicle on the ocean beach
area from May 15 through September 15 in each year during the following
hours: between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
B.
No person shall drive or operate a motor vehicle on the ocean beach
area at any time unless said vehicle is registered and unless the
driver or operator is covered by a liability insurance policy equivalent
to that required by the State of New York for the operation of a motor
vehicle upon public highways and unless said vehicle displays a permit
on the front bumper issued by the Trustees of the Commonalty of the
Town of Southampton to operate said motor vehicle on the ocean beach
along the Atlantic Ocean in the Town of Southampton.
A.
No person shall drive or operate a motor vehicle on the ocean beach
area unless said vehicle is equipped with a jack, jackboard, tow chain
or rope, air-pressure gauge, tire inflation device and shovel.
B.
No person shall drive or operate any all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or
motorcycle at any time on the ocean beach area.
C.
No vehicle shall be operated on the ocean beach area at any time
at a speed in excess of 10 miles per hour.
D.
No person shall drive or operate a motor vehicle on any dunes or
beach grasses. Vehicles must operate waterward of the debris line.
Vehicles shall not trespass on private property.
E.
Vehicles shall only enter and exit the ocean beach area from the
Village access road located south of Dune Road just east of Lashley
Lane and only when the Village access gate is open.
F.
No person shall display or use a four-wheel-drive vehicle permit
unless said permit properly applies to the vehicle's owners residency
status at the time of said use and is displayed only on the vehicle
for which it was issued.
Any person committing an offenses against any provision of this
chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a violation pursuant
to the Penal Law of the State of New York punishable by a fine not
exceeding $1,000 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days,
or by both such fine and imprisonment.
