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Town of Southampton, NY
Suffolk County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (7) Index
[Amended 4-9-1996 by L.L. No. 10-1996]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BAY BEACH AREA
A. 
All that area, 75 feet in width, owned by the Southampton Town Trustees, known as "Peconic Beach Road," bounded on the east by Sebonac Inlet, bounded on the west by the entrance of Red Creek Pond, bounded on the north by the high-water mark of Peconic Bay.
B. 
All that area, 50 feet in width, owned by the Southampton Town Trustees, known as "Shinnecock Beach Road," bounded on the east by the entrance to Old Fort Pond, bounded on the west by a point 300 feet west of Crab Road, Hampton Bays, bounded on the south by the high-water mark of Shinnecock Bay.
C. 
All that area between the high- and low-water marks, adjacent to Shinnecock Bay, Tiana Bay, Moriches Bay, Quantuck Bay, Mecox Bay, Sagaponack Pond and all those inland creeks, bays or harbors located from the Riverhead Town line to the East Hampton Town line which border the Peconic Bay system, excluding incorporated villages, and Suffolk County beach known as "Meschutt Beach." Said areas are owned by the Southampton Town Trustees.
D. 
All that area owned by the Town of Southampton which borders any tidal or fresh waters, including but not limited to Foster Memorial Beach, Noyac; Circle Beach (Hallock's Beach), Noyac; and Towd Point, North Sea.
E. 
The terminus of all Town or Town Trustee roads leading to any body of water within the Town.
OCEAN BEACH AREA
Those premises along the Atlantic Ocean bounded on the north by the crest of the primary dune, on the east by the easterly Town line, on the south by the high-water mark of the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by the westerly Town line, excluding incorporated villages, and the Suffolk County Beach known as "Shinnecock Inlet East." This area is a right-of-way controlled by the Town Trustees.
NOTE: Any other parcels above the mean high-water mark which are not described above are private property and are subject to trespassing regulations. Nothing contained in the foregoing subsections shall in any way be construed as a relinquishment of the Trustees' right to regulate said property and easements.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to drive or operate a motor vehicle on bay beach areas or on ocean beach areas between the Friday immediately preceding Memorial Day and the 15th day of September in each year between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no vehicles shall be allowed on Foster Memorial Beach (commonly known as "Long Beach," Noyac) at any time from May 15 to September 15. (NOTE: Exceptions in Subsections J, K, L and M.)
B. 
No person shall drive or operate a motor vehicle on bay beach areas or ocean beach areas unless said vehicle is registered and unless the drive 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 to operate said motor vehicle is said area from the Town Trustees. Such permit shall be issued by the Town Trustees upon application therefor if the applicant possesses a valid license to operate a motor vehicle on public highways and executes an affidavit that said vehicle contains the following equipment: jack, jack board, tow chain or rope, air pressure gauge, tire inflation device and shovel. Permits will only be issued to four-wheel-drive vehicles.
[Amended 4-12-1994 by L.L. No. 19-1994]
C. 
No person shall drive or operate a motor vehicle on bay beach areas or ocean beach areas unless said vehicle is equipped as prescribed in the foregoing subsection.
D. 
No person shall drive or operate a motor vehicle in excess of 10 miles per hour on any bay beach areas or ocean beach areas within the Town.
E. 
No person shall drive or operate any all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or motorcycle at any time on any bay beach areas or ocean beach areas within the Town.
F. 
No person shall drive or operate a motor vehicle on any dunes, beach grasses or wetlands vegetation of any kind.
G. 
The Town Trustees reserve the right to temporarily close the ocean beach areas or any part thereof to vehicular traffic during periods of severe beach erosion. Signs will be posted in conspicuous access areas to advise the public of the location and duration of any temporary closure.
H. 
No person shall display or use a four-wheel-drive-vehicle permit unless said permit properly applies to the vehicle owner's residency status at the time of said use and is displayed only on the vehicle for which it was issued.
I. 
In addition to other penalties provided herein any person to whom a permit has been issued who violates a provision of Subsection A, B, C, D, E, F, G or H shall have said permit revoked when it is legally determined that any subsection has been violated. If such violation is the first violation of this section, such person shall be eligible to apply for, purchase and receive a new permit. A person shall not be eligible for the issuance of a permit if he has twice violated the provisions of this section within one year from the date of application.
J. 
The provisions of this section shall not apply to Town, county or state employees or contractors working under the direction or supervision of the Town or emergency vehicles.
K. 
The provisions of Subsection A shall not apply to a commercial fisherman holding a valid New York State Department of Environmental Conservation resident marine commercial food fishing license actively engaged in a commercial fishing activity. All other restrictions shall apply.
L. 
The provisions of Subsection A shall not apply to Shinnecock Beach Road. All other restrictions shall apply.
M. 
Nothing contained in this Article shall prevent the launching or retrieval of boats from the terminus of Town or Town Trustee roads, except as provided in § 111-21.
It shall be unlawful for any person to dress or undress in the ocean or bay beach area, either by changing from ordinary street clothes into bathing or beach attire or from bathing or beach attire into ordinary street clothes.
It shall be unlawful for any person to bring, carry, throw, break, cast, lay or deposit a glass bottle or pieces of crockery or glass or glassware, garbage or refuse, or any part thereof, or any injurious substance of any kind or nature on the ocean and bay beach area or upon any parking area, roadway or pathway thereof.
It shall be unlawful for any person to come upon any beach or remain within or use the ocean or bay beach area or waters adjacent thereto, either in the daytime or at night, while in the nude. For the purposes of this section, "nude" shall mean the showing of the human male or female genitals, pubic area or buttocks with less than a fully opaque covering or the showing of the female breast with less than a fully opaque covering of any portion thereof below the top of the nipple.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to camp or sleep in the ocean or bay beach area or in any vehicle therein after sundown or to erect or cause to be erected any structure, temporary or otherwise, or any tent or other structure within said area.