Burlington’s North Beach will be opening Saturday following Gov. Phil Scott’s announcement earlier this week that beaches and pools can open.
Group sizes have to be limited to 10 people, and 6 feet of distance must be maintained between groups, said Cindi Wight, director of Burlington’s Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department.
Wight said the city is encouraging people to keep their visits to the beach brief to ensure there is enough space for many to enjoy it this weekend.
“Everyone’s going to want to go to North Beach this weekend because it’s supposed to be beautiful,” she said. “So shorten your stay. Come, play and move on to make space for other people.”
Bathrooms will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., when the park’s gates close, and there will be no charge for parking at the beach this weekend. Lifeguards are not yet on duty, and the beach’s snack bar will open next weekend.
Wight said visitors should wear masks at the beach to limit the potential spread of the virus.
Mayor Miro Weinberger said the city was expecting visitors to follow the regulations and said that this weekend would not be “going to the beach as normal.”
“We do hope you are able to get out and enjoy the outdoors, whether it’s North Beach, the bike path or other areas of the outdoors,” he said.
The city is also in discussions with nonprofit ANEW Place about establishing North Beach campground as the site of tents for the homeless this summer.
The state set up campers at North Beach campground at the end of March to provide shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness who had been residing in the city’s low-barrier shelter. The campers aimed to allow individuals to maintain a distance not possible in the shelter.
ANEW Place, the nonprofit that oversees the low barrier shelter, also operated the site with the campers. Around 25 individuals had been staying at the campground when the campers were there.
Weinberger said the plans had not yet been finalized as the city was still in discussions with ANEW Place.
“The goal is to have something operational by the beginning of June, so we still have a few days to get that stood up,” he said.
Get the latest statistics and live updates on our coronavirus page.
Sign up for our coronavirus email list.
Tell us your story or give feedback at coronavirus@vtdigger.org.
Support our nonprofit journalism with a donation.
