To the Editor,
Rye Town Park has the most fantastic public beach along the entire sound shore. Whether you are a permit holder or a day tripper who pays exorbitant daily fees, the attendance at Oakland Beach is proof that many people in Westchester agree. In fact, the beach has earned an operating surplus the last two years.
Because of the fact that the city of Rye seceded in the early ‘40s from Rye Town, the physical boundaries of Oakland Beach lie unfortunately in the city. The entire upkeep of the park is paid for mostly by beachgoers.
What do the beach users get in return: 1. disgusting toilets located in tunnels behind the beach, 2. a bathhouse without any changing area, 3. no handicapped access to the beautiful beach, and now this summer, 4. maybe no food and snack bars.
What is the Rye Town Park Commission thinking? The commissioners from Rye City seem very happy to use the revenues from Oakland Beach to enable the city residents to enjoy the park area for free the nine months of the year beyond the summer. The Rye Town commissioners offered to contribute $59,000 to the park capital fund to give seed money to start upgrades. After initially agreeing, Rye City Mayor Joe Sack and Councilwoman Julie Killian said the they would not contribute one dime. Not only do they keep putting off fixing the deplorable toilets, but they both said because of the surplus in the park treasury, they see no reason to even supply any food to the beachgoers for the summer of 2017. They want to leave the restaurant and snack bars vacant. Finally, Sack said condescendingly that “we can give them a hot dog, a hamburger and some ice cream,” his idea is perhaps a food truck up off the beach.
According to the bylaws of the Rye Town Park Commission, the park exists to allow the public free and uninhibited access to enjoy the waters of Long Island Sound. It is NOT a neighborhood park, but a public beach, a fact lost on some commissioners and residents whose homes are on the surrounding streets. The commission’s duty is to insure the users of Oakland Beach have: 1. decent toilets and a bathhouse, 2. handicapped access, and 3. seasonal food and drink for the beachgoers.
Contact your commissioners and let them know your views on how the park should be run: Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla, Rye Brook Mayor Paul Rosenberg, Rye Town Supervisor Gary Zuckerman, and Benedict Salanitro for Rye Neck.
Diane Horner,
Rye Neck
