Beach Stickers Required As Of May 26, 2012

I ran into a friend Monday night who proudly pointed to the rear side window on his car. Displayed there was his 2012 Madison Beach Pass.

"I wanted to beat the just-before-Memorial-Day rush," he said.

Good thinking. Town residents can get beach passes now. The form is available online at the town website and is posted with this article.There is still time to download it, fill it out, and send it in the mail, with proof of residency and other required documentation (please see details below), to town hall at the Town Campus.

Town hopes to make passes available online in the future

Or you can go right down to Town Campus, at 8 Campus Drive, off of Duck Hole road, and get it right away. Once you get to Town Campus, go to the Beach & Recreation Department to get your pass.

Sometime soon, the town hopes to make beach passes available through an online ordering system, says Beach & Recreation Commission Chairman Tom Banisch. That system will cross reference requests with requests with town tax records, he said. "It just takes some coordination and programming to get it done.  We're almost there," Banisch said.

Already, the town has many of its other Beach & Recreation offerings, including classes and other programs, available online.

Don't be one of those people ...

Beach stickers are required as of May 26th, the start of the Memorial Day Weekend. Memorial Day, which falls on May 28th, may seem a far way away, but it'll be here before you know it, so I'm going to take my friend's example and get mine this week. 

Whenever you get it, please don't be one of those people who shows up on Memorial Day without a pass, but insisting to be let in without paying because you're a town resident. And a gentle reminder to everyone to please treat the Beach & Recreation Department employees with the respect they deserve, even if they have to inform you of a rule or regulation you don't like or don't want to follow. Part of our town regulations reads as follows: "Abusive or threatening language will not be tolerated. Violators will be asked to leave the premises."

Here is the information about the Beach Passes, including prices, and Beach Regulations, from the town website:

Beach Parking Stickers

• Seasonal Stickers must be permanently affixed to the outside of either your windshield or the rear side window on the Drivers side of your vehicle in order to gain admittance to the parking areas.
• Seasonal Stickers are on sale through the end of the summer.
• Residents/taxpayers are eligible to purchase a seasonal parking sticker
• Non-Residents may purchase a daily parking tag only.
• Stickers are available at the Recreation Office in Town Hall – Monday through Friday 8:30am-4pm.
• Daily parking tags are sold at the Recreation office, and also at the main gate of the Surf Club Beach (cash or check only at main gate).
• Seasonal Parking Stickers may also be requested by mail. Along with your request please include a copy of your vehicle(s) registration, a copy of the registered owner(s) driver’s license and check made payable to “Town of Madison”, and a self addressed stamped envelope. See rate schedule below.
• Staff will process mail in requests as time permits. Please allow at least one week turnaround time if requesting passes by mail.

Beach Parking Sticker Form

2012 Seasonal Rates

Registered owners up to age 59: $40 per vehicle. Multi vehicle discount ($20) if registering more than one vehicle. Registered owners age 60 & over: $10 per vehicle.

Daily Parking Rates

Resident/taxpayers $10 per vehicle Non-residents – Monday through Thursday $25 per vehicle, $40 Weekends (Fri, Sat, Sun) and Holidays per vehicle

Beach Use Guidelines

For your enjoyment and safety at our beaches and parks, we would like you to be aware of these excerpts from the Town of Madison
Beach Ordinances: Section 14-54 thru 14-56:

• Alcoholic beverages are allowed, in cans or Cups only, in the Surf Club Picnic grove until 10pm. Alcohol is not permitted on any Beach, Athletic Field or parking Areas. No glass bottles, kegs or glass containers in our parks.
• Group gatherings of 50 or more not permitted during beach pass season.
• Pets are permitted at the Surf Club, East Wharf or West Wharf in the parking lots only during the Beach Pass Season.
• Abusive or threatening language will not be tolerated. Violators will be asked to leave the premises.
• Inflatable toys, rafts and personal flotation devices other than Coast Guard Approved life Jackets are not permitted.
• Speed Limit in all Town Parks is 10 MPH.

The story was edited Friday, April 20, 2012 to correct the date by which stickers are needed. They are required beginning May 26th.