WHATELY — After two years of disuse, the Tri-Town Beach reopened this summer to a steady stream of visitors. Now, members of the Tri-Town Beach Commission are laying out several priorities in preparation for next summer.
During a meeting at the beach’s pavilion on a golden fall evening, Deerfield Commissioner Patty Pirog said the beach sold nearly 150 season passes in its first season since the summer of 2019. Broken down by town, 71 passes were sold to residents of Deerfield, 34 to Whately, 21 to Sunderland and 14 to Hatfield.
“I’m thrilled with the amount of people we had using the beach this year,” Pirog commented. “Of the 150 passes, 60 of them were seniors. I was happy people were here this year.”
Tri-Town Beach was closed in 2020 due to pandemic regulations and remained closed through the summer of 2021 due to the park’s deteriorating condition. The commission began meeting in January, with much of its work focused on the park’s aesthetics, and was able to launch a shortened season that began in July.
Work included the resurfacing of picnic tables, fixing the beach’s gazebo, getting hot water in the bathrooms, rewiring the pavilion’s electrical system and landscaping work around the property.
While the drought wreaked havoc on the county’s farms and other water-based recreational activities, Pirog said the dry weather, which did lower the beach’s water levels, likely led people to the beach.
“We were very blessed this year, with not a lot of rainy days,” Pirog said. “I think we got more people with the drought.”
Looking ahead, the top priorities for next year’s season include managing the growing population of dwarf bulrush plants, which are designated by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife as a threatened species. The commissioners are working with SWCA Environmental Consultants to survey the plants, a necessary step before a mitigation plan can be submitted to Natural Heritage, a branch of MassWildlife.
“We have to do a complete vegetative survey, put together a management plan, which is then submitted to the Whately Conservation Commission and Natural Heritage,” explained Deerfield Commissioner Ken Cuddeback. He added he is hopeful SWCA completes the survey before the commission’s next meeting so they can keep the process moving forward.
Pirog said the beach’s floating dock is in “terrible shape” and she is going to “put some feelers out to a few places” for a replacement. Plus, portions of the dock remain on the left side of the beach, which are a safety hazard due to their jagged nature. Whately Commissioner Marc Bussiere said the town’s Highway Department may be able to help.
Beyond maintenance and repairs, the commissioners discussed use of the Tri-Town Beach, even in months where you might not typically want to go to a beach.
“I’ve been getting requests about ice skating this winter,” Pirog noted. “I think it’d be great to do, even if we do just the weekends.”
While no plans were set because of the variability of freezing temperatures, the four commissioners said ice skating could be a great addition to the community.
For next summer, the ideas of food trucks and summer concerts were floated, too. Bussiere said they should aim for one-off weekend events to see if there is interest before setting a full schedule.
“If word got out, people would be more inclined,” Bussiere said, with Cuddeback adding that the Tri-Town Beach would be a “nice venue” for concerts.
The commission plans to meet again in December with the hope that SWCA’s survey will be completed.
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.