The sands are shifting at Norton Point once again.
The Dukes County Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to have the town of Edgartown take over management of Norton Point Beach.
The two-mile strip of shorefront east of South Beach is owned by the county but previously had been leased to The Trustees of Reservations, a nonprofit land trust that had managed the property since 2006. In November, the town of Edgartown announced plans to take over management, prompting the Trustees to forgo their contract renewal several weeks later.
New management isn’t expected to bring any sweeping changes, but the decision came with no small amount of urgency, since the county’s contract with the Trustees expires March 31.
“Thank you all for the major work you’ve put into this in a very short period of time,” county commission chair Christine Todd told the Edgartown parks department on Wednesday.
The two-year contract with the town is contingent upon further review of county policies to ensure that they align with the town’s beach management plan, county manager Martina Thornton said. Several commissioners had noted inconsistencies in the county’s policy language online, particularly around when dogs are allowed on the beach during shorebird nesting season.
“Let’s just say no dogs from April 1 through the end of August,” Ms. Thornton said. “That will make everybody’s lives easier.”
Prior to the approval, county commissioners raised several questions about the sale of oversand vehicle permits on the beach. Due to the management transition, parks commissioner Andrew Kelly said that oversand vehicle permits would not be available for sale until May 1.
To keep beach access open in the meantime, county commissioners ruled to let people with existing Trustees permits continue to use the beach as permitted through the end of April, after which they will need to apply for new permits from the town.
Edgartown plans to keep the pricing for oversand vehicle permits the same as in previous years, with annual passes selling at $90 for residents and $140 for non-residents.
County commissioners also asked whether Edgartown plans to limit the number of oversand vehicle permits sold. The town will only monitor day-to-day capacity on the beach, not the number of permits. This practice is consistent with the Trustees’ previous policy, Mr. Kelly said.
Norton Point is a popular recreational destination for swimming and shellfishing, but the barrier beach also serves as a critical habitat for nesting endangered shorebirds. To prepare for nesting season this spring, the town of Edgartown has engaged Mass Audubon to help oversee shorebird management.
Mr. Kelly said that the Trustees had been a significant help in ensuring a smooth transition.
Also Wednesday, the Edgartown conservation commission approved the parks department’s notice of intent to sell oversand vehicle permits on the property. The next step, Mr. Kelly said, is to secure funds for beach management at town meeting April 11.
Edgartown’s town meeting warrant lists the sale of oversand vehicle permits on Norton Point as the main source of revenue for the beach management fund, but the parks department is also seeking to hire a full-time beach director to oversee the property, supplemented by nine part-time or seasonal positions.
Ms. Todd extended an offer to help in whatever way she could to ensure proper funding.
“We look forward to your success,” she said.
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