Long Island Moves To Bar NYC Residents From Its Beaches

NEW YORK CITY – Don't bother boarding the Long Island Railroad in search of an open beach this summer – New York City dwellers are likely not welcome.

Officials in Nassau are holding an emergency meeting Wednesday in an effort to ban non-county residents from visiting its seaside spots – specifically aimed at barring NYC residents.

If passed, the measure would apply to Nickerson Beach, which is the only beach overseen by Nassau County. The Town of Hempstead is crafting similar legislation for its own beaches.

Suffolk County has already ruled that at least two of its beaches would be closed to non-locals, a decision made after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared that the city's beaches would remain closed Memorial Day.

"People will flock to the beaches and we want to make sure that when that happens, that it is in a controlled environment with safety protocols in place that allow people to be able to enjoy the beach in a safe way,"said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.

"As we move forward, because of the reduced capacity, and because there are a number of facilities that likely will not be opening at same time, we are reserving Suffolk County beaches at Smith Point and Cupsogue for residents only."

"It's a shame Long Island has to turn away city beachgoers to protect its residents and ensure safe beaches, but until the mayor gets his act together and makes his own beaches safe, that's the only responsible move," said Nassau Sen. Todd Kaminsky.

"As soon as New York City does the right thing, Long Island should welcome back its neighbors as long as safe volumes can be maintained. "

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared last week that the state's beaches would open for Memorial Day, but the mayor quickly responded by saying NYC's beaches wouldn't be includeduntil there is more progress in the fight against the coronavirus.

But the mayor said he doesn't approve of rules banning city residents from other beaches.

"This should not be about any ill feeling toward people depending on where they come from,"de Blasio said in an interview with PIX 11.

New York State's beaches will open May 22 with restrictions that include capping capacity at 50 percent, closing concessions and banning group contact.

With reporting by Dan Hampton/Patch