Compo Beach updates prices for 2023 season

Aidan Sprouls ’23, Web Opinions Editor|March 15, 2023

Most of the rates for Compo Beach parking have seen a 10% increase; however, this does not apply to the price of non-resident passes where the price was decided based on the rate from 2017. All data compiled from WestportNews. Graphic by Aidan Sprouls ’23.

For the upcoming 2023 beach season, the town of Westport has decided to update the price of parking passes at Compo beach, golfing at Longshore and camps held at Longshore or Compo beach, increasing the price of most parking passes by 10%, and increasing others at similar rates. The largest change in price comes from the $235 decrease to parking prices for non Westport or Weston residents. 

“We’re working hard to balance the needs of our residents and [their] desire to have our beach accessible,” First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker said.  

 

The decrease in pricing for non-Westport or Weston residents helps to make the area more accessible to nonresidents, while the $10 increase for residents helps to cover the $340,000 rise in cost of beach operations, like keeping the beach clean and maintaining the golf course, since the prices were last adjusted. 

The adjustment in prices also helps align better with proposed legislation in the Connecticut state government which would stop shoreline communities from charging nonresidents more than double the amount they charge their own residents.

“As we look, we are really way out of alignment with our other waterfront communities, and it’s also out of alignment with our accessibility goals,” Director of the Parks and Recreation Department Jennifer Fava said at a Board of Selectwomen meeting.

Some believe that this change will help improve all of the Longshore amenities.

“It might be a hassle to pay that extra $2 [to golf], but in the projected next 10 years, we will see a whole new Longshore area,” Sam Willis ’23 said.  “That will be amazing for anyone wanting to either play golf, swim, play tennis, walk, et cetera.”