On Monday, May 2, the Selectmen decided to postpone until May 16 their decision on what time to close the Falmouth Heights Beach parking lot. Beach Committee Chair Amy Sellers asked the Board of Selectmen (BOS) to close all Falmouth beach parking lots at 10 P.M., except the two designated open all night for fishermen. She specifically asked that the Heights Beach parking lot be gated and locked at that time.
Atty. Robert Ament, representative for the BBC, offered their plan to hire a police detail to tend the lot four hours every night throughout the summer. However, Selectman Ahmed Mustafa and others explained that detail schedules are not always filled and there might be some nights when no policeman signs up, leaving the lot unattended. Others questioned what guarantee there would be that the police detail would not be called away.
The BBC is asking for an 11 P.M. closing and suggested that ticketing of cars left in the lot at closing time be substantial ($80). The FHMIA and the Beach Committee did not support this plan as presented on Monday night. FHMIA President Winnie Grant asked that the lot be closed at 9 P.M. and then Ms. Sellers reiterated the Beach Committee’s wishes for all lots to be closed at 10 P.M., with the Heights Beach lot being gated and locked. She reminded the BOS that they appointed the Beach Committee to make recommendations which would benefit the Town. Don Hoffer and Bruce Mogardo, the Town Beach Department Superintendent and Assistant were also adamant that the Heights lot be closed earlier than 11 P.M. FHMIA Vice President Howard Grosser pointed out the 1971 restrictions to the parking lot and suggested this was a matter for Town Meeting rather than the Selectmen. Andy Dufresne, Paul Brodeur and others from the community underscored flaws in the BBC plan and the need to change the current parking lot plan so as not to repeat the vandalism, noise, trash and late night drinking that has occurred in the past three years since the prior BOS opened the lot until 11 P.M. and left it unlocked all night.
The Selectmen have a lot of decisions to make, the major two being whether or not to close all the parking lots at 10 P.M. and whether or not to manage the Heights lot or just close it earlier with no attendant. If they choose to manage the Heights lot, they then need to consider all methods of management, not just the BBC’s offer.