Old Lyme — After announcing late last month that Old Lyme’s town beaches were to close indefinitely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, First Selectman Tim Griswold announced Thursday evening that he and town officials are now planning to reopen the beaches at reduced capacity beginning Memorial Day weekend on May 23.

Both residents and nonresidents will be allowed to use the three beaches — which include Sound View Beach, White Sand Beach and the beach at Rogers Lake in Hains Park — but at reduced capacities. 

Griswold estimated, for example, about 70 people would be allowed on the Sound View beach at the end of Hartford Avenue at any given time and only 30 would be allowed on the other Sound View beach at the end of Swan Avenue. He did not give capacity estimates for the other beaches Thursday.

He said capacity limits were based on calculations that considered the square footage of each beach, as well as recommendations from the Red Cross, he said, for how much space a single beachgoer would need to safely distance from others on the sand.

Available beach space will be first come, first served, Griswold said, adding that those who may need to walk off the beach after securing a spot to either use the restroom or grab a bite to eat will be given a ticket, “almost like the deli line at the grocery store” to re-enter the beach without losing their spot.

Summer rangers and town police will monitor each of the town’s beaches daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the town plans to keep some form of fencing up at Sound View, where fencing and barriers are already in place, to help limit crowds but also allow people to enter and exit the beach at designated spots, Griswold said.

Lifeguards will come on duty at White Sand Beach and at Hains Park, where they normally work each summer, later in June, but will not be at Sound View, as is typical each summer.

Port-a-potties will be open for the public to use and will be cleaned daily, Griswold said, adding, “People who want to be fastidious will have to bring their own sanitizer.”

Griswold said he hopes the new decision can last throughout the summer and that people going on the beach will behave and adhere to social distancing protocols that will soon be further outlined. “I think if it’s managed properly, we can do it. If it works well, we will keep going. If it becomes a complete disaster, then I’d imagine we would say, ‘Eh, it’s not worth it.’

"It takes a lot of resources to do this, but we want it to be a good experience,” he said. “If we see that there’s a lot of people sneaking in and it turns to be a mess, then we will say, 'OK, we gave it a try, it hasn’t worked' and we would have the option of closing."

Griswold said he made the decision Thursday after consulting with various town staff, the town’s resident state trooper and the presidents of the Miami Beach and White Sand beach associations, as well as Sound View Commission Chairman Frank Pappalardo.

Though Griswold said he and those same town officials decided just a couple weeks ago to close the beaches indefinitely, he said Thursday that the closing allowed the town more time to think through the process of how to keep beaches open this summer and in a safe manner. He also cautioned that reopening beaches will be an experiment of sorts.

"We figure it's Memorial Day and it would be nice if we can let people enjoy the beach and that we give people the opportunity," Griswold said. "We will be experimenting and hoping it will work out well."

Public parking will be limited throughout each of the beach areas. Additional information about reopening, capacity limits and beach parking will be posted to the town’s website Friday, Griswold said, where information about how to purchase beach parking passes has been posted. 

Old Lyme does not charge a fee to walk onto its beaches, but does to park in lots nearby beaches.

m.biekert@theday.com