York Town News
Proposal allowing expansion of surf zone on big wave days expected to go before voters in May
By Melissa Wood
YORK BEACH - Before the next summer season begins, voters may decide whether to adopt an amended surfing ordinance that keeps the location and size of the current 120-yard surf zone on Long Sands Beach, but provides that it can be expanded to the rocks at the Sun-N-Surf Restaurant on days when wave conditions are ideal for surfing and a large number of surfers are in the water.At the Monday night, Feb. 26, public hearing, many surfers showed up to support more space for surfing at the beach, while some of the people who own property near the area came to voice their opposition.
Selectmen voted unanimously to hold another hearing to put the amended surfing ordinance on the ballot for May after taking out a paragraph in the proposed amendment that would have allowed the entire beach to be opened to surfing during inclement weather or dangerous swimming conditions.
Parks and Recreation Director Michael Sullivan, who joined with Police Chief Douglas Bracy in supporting the revised amendment, said the benefit of the proposed changes to the ordinance was to give the town the ability to manage the zone to ensure the safety of surfers and swimmers at the beach.
"I'm not here to advocate for the surfers, I'm not here to advocate for the property owners, but I am concerned about safety at the beach" said Sullivan.
Sullivan said the size of the surf zone has come up before during his 20 years as director of town's Recreation Department, which is responsible for managing the beaches.
"It has been an issue every year at one point or another," he said.
He said that although the issue has come up consistently over the years, the actual need to expand the zone does not arise many times during any given summer since big wave days are usually few and far between.
"If this happens six days next summer, I'll be shocked," said Sullivan.
Currently, surfing is not allowed on any of York's beaches between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day except in the area of the surf zone on Long Sands Beach, which runs from the area near Beacon Street to a point 120 yards south.
Under the proposal, the recreation director or his designee, such as the head lifeguard, is responsible for making the call whether to expand the zone on the big wave days. The amendment also includes moving the beginning of surf ordinance enforcement from Memorial Day in May to Flag Day in June, and provides public notice of the expansion of the zone on those big wave days by possibly putting up flags at the lifeguard station or around the borders of the expanded zone.
York attorney and surfer David Ballou, who has been working with town officials, residents and surfers to reach a surf zone solution, said he heard the call to help after clashes between surfers and lifeguards last Labor Day weekend.
"This fall the problem reached a crescendo," he said. "It was a very unpleasant situation."
Grace Flaherty, a year-round Juniper Road resident, said she was "totally against" the expansion because it involved all the residents of the road.
"The jewel of this town is the family," she said. "Where do our families go? Where do our children go to learn about nature?"
Property owner Larry Dumais said that York has always been a family beach.
"This is a prime part of the beach," he said, "to expand this area is going to lead to more problems than what we have now."
However, Mark Anastas, owner of Liquid Dreams Surf Shops in Ogunquit and York Beach, pointed out after the meeting that every single one of the shop's youth surfing lessons and camps sell out in the summer.
"If this is a family beach, a family town, action sports are for ages 8 to 15," he said. "That's families. That's kids."
Dwight Bardwell made the motion to take out the paragraph of the proposal that would have allowed the recreation director to open the beach to surfing when bad weather drove other beachgoers away. He said it bothered him that the entire beach could be totally open to surfing on days in the middle of July.
"The feeling is here, when there's no one at the beach, it's wide open, surf's up, why not open the whole beach to surfing?" said Sullivan at the meeting.
According to local resident and avid surfer John Clancy, the section was important to reflect the reality of how swimmers and surfers use the water, especially during big storms that can create hazardous conditions for swimmers.
"Nobody swims in the rain," he said. "It's just a fact."
Several surfers also pointed out that on days with dangerous conditions, surfers are usually the ones to rescue swimmers in trouble because they are familiar with the currents.
"A lot of the people behind me have actually saved people from drowning," Clancy said, standing at the podium during the meeting. "As far as surfing goes, we're really a safety valve that's in place all the time."
Mike Mandravelis, a York surfer who also owns property at the beach, called the proposed ordinance a win-win situation for both surfers and swimmers.
"Nobody wants to take away any of the beach," he said.
Selectman Mike Estes said he agreed with the need for more room for surfing.
"Anyone who goes to the beach now can see how popular surfing has become," he said. "When you cram 100 people in a very small space, somebody's going to get hurt."
The public hearing is scheduled for March 26. If selectmen approve the ordinance for inclusion on the ballot, it will be up to the voters to decide in May.
