Town challenges access to village’s Ho-Hum Beach

Brookhaven Town supervisor Dan Panico and parks commissioner Ed Morris recently released a schedule inviting residents to register online for free Ho-Hum Beach ferry passes.

The passes include access to the Bellport Village-owned amenity for Aug. 25, 27, Sept. 1, and 8 with times between 10 a.m., and noon and 3 and 4 p.m. for pickup.

Additionally, a bus was provided to meet residents at Kreamer Street Middle School to transport them to the Bellport Marina.

The new service was and continues to be provided on a first-come, first-served basis for the first 25 people per ferry with a copy of their registration.

The Brookhaven Landfill Action and Remediation Group posted a statement to social media stating that it is “environmental justice” providing equal access to the beaches.

“Environmental justice means equal access to our beaches!” the post read. “Let’s be first to say when Town of Brookhaven does something good. Hopefully this will be expanded next year throughout the summer!”

However, according to village residents on the Bellport Village Resident Facebook page, about four people utilized the water taxi service, and all of them were Bellport Village residents.

“We proceeded in a very measured and limited fashion, but unfortunately those efforts were undercut by a village trustee, and others, going online and registering over and over again to take up most of the available seats,” Panico said. “We remain undeterred, and that sabotage wasn’t caught until late yesterday, as we have been consumed with dealing with the devastation on our North Shore.”

The village also issued a summons to the H2O Taxi Service for illegally docking at the marina without a permit.

Mayor Maureen Veitch wrote an open letter to the village residents claiming the “free Ho-Hum Beach ferry passes” is misleading since he is not utilizing the ferry but rather contracted with a taxi service to bring people over.

“First and foremost, my job as mayor is to protect and serve the residents of this incorporated village. I am addressing this situation through the proper channels that exist for leadership to legally—and with civility—represent village residents who pay Bellport taxes for amenities such as the ferry and our beach facilities,” she said of the supervisor taking access to Ho-Hum Beach into his own hands.

“This misguided plan is simply not safe. At no point did the supervisor reach out to me and my office to let me know this was happening, despite the fact that I made multiple efforts to reach out to him, once we heard that he was planning something along these lines.”

Additionally, she said, the village routinely welcomes non-resident guests to Ho-Hum Beach in collaboration with various groups. Just last week, over 40 children, chaperones, and parents from the Boys & Girls Club visited the beach, in addition to CEED, which regularly scheduled outings to Ho-Hum.

Her concerns include beach safety with limited facilities and only one lifeguard chair; limited facilities with minimal septic and water pumping facilities; and taxpayer dollars.

“How much of our Brookhaven tax dollars are being spent on this event? Who’s paying for Jitneys and the H2O Water Taxi? These are questions that need to be answered,” she added.

She also said there are many accessible beaches in the area, including Great Gun in Center Moriches, Smith Point, and Davis Park.

“This poorly planned event, which was never discussed with village leadership, is diverting our attention from solving the real problems that face our communities,” she said, adding that village residents should leave the village to handle the situation. “We should be working together to address issues (including road safety, clean air and water, and damaged infrastructure) that our residents actually care about.”

Veitch questioned why the supervisor is “obsessed” with Bellport, noting that other beaches in Brookhaven are only open to residents of their village, including the Village of Old Field in Stony Brook and Poquot Village.
“As I spoke about in my inaugural address, we are working to provide access for those, especially children, who may have never enjoyed the simple pleasure of making a sandcastle on the beach,” Panico said in response to Veitch. “There is a great deal of confusion on the access issue; many of the arguments I have heard in opposition to this limited program are frankly quite absurd. We look forward to working to clear up that issue this week.”

Panico said he remains passionate about the issue after speaking with Jason Neal, who coaches the Bellport Chess Club and is a United States Army veteran who grew up in the community.

“Mr. Neal and I spoke about this issue while playing chess at our Juneteenth Celebration, with councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, about how he and others in his community might not even feel comfortable heading over because they feel unwanted,” he said. “That’s not the Bellport Village I know, and the unfortunate actions by some are in no way indicative of the good people who reside there.”

The town and village, he added, have always worked well together. The town also provides lifeguards at Ho-Hum; paid for by the village.

“We invited no cameras, press and sought no fanfare,” he said of providing access to the beach. “This limited program was simply about working to help other human beings enjoy this island who have a right to do so.”

Brookhaven NAACP president Georgette Grier-Key agrees with Panico, claiming it is “wrong” for Bellport Village to use a municipal-owned beach as a private beach and to deny access to all local residents to waterways to the beach.

“Bellport Village is actively practicing segregation by excluding access and public accommodation to the Brookhaven Town-deeded Ho-Hum beach by not allowing the local and surrounding community that are African American and BIPOC people to use the beach,” she said. “We have witnessed a premeditated exclusion to persons like myself, who pay taxes for 20-plus years. We shouldn’t have to go several towns over or to the North Shore when there is a beach a little over a mile away for leisure and respite.”

As the president of the Brookhaven Town NAACP branch and as a resident, she said, she stands behind the town on the fight to open Ho-Hum Beach to all.

“We plan on doing everything in our power to put an end to this exclusion and hold everyone accountable,” she added. “As always, we hope to participate in forthcoming talks on how we can achieve equity, equality, and justice.”

However, according to Bellport resident and Friends of Bellport Bay co-founder Thomas Schultz, he believes Bellport Village does not discriminate.

“There’s no racial motivation behind the current village policy to only allow Bellport Village residents and their guests on the village-owned-and-operated ferry,” he said, offended by the insinuation. “I would be the first person to speak out if I recognized or observed any village policy that is grounded in segregation or race. To suggest otherwise is divisive, offensive and inaccurate.”

Rather, he said, the issue is not about access to the beach but about everyone having access all the time.

“It’s a false narrative that Bellport Village denies access to the beach on Fire Island to non-village residents,” he said noting, the village’s partnership with the Boys & Girls Club and CEED. “We also have to take into account the limitations of the facility and of the lifeguard coverage.”

He also noted that he likes the idea of providing a free ferry service to the shorelines.

“Maybe the town could expand this program of free ferry service from Patchogue to Davis and to all our beaches, thus providing greater opportunities for all residents of the town that don’t have the ability to pay the ferry fees,” he added.