Dune Reopens to Workouts, Fees in August

After months of ironing out the details—and on the heels of a much-debated compromise—the city is set to reopen the dune in Sand Dune Park for exercise and recreation under a restrictive new pay-to-play registration system.

Beginning Monday, July 19, two online payment options through the city's website will be presented to dune users, Parks & Recreation Director Richard Gill said yesterday.

"We should have everything up and running by then," Gill said. "We're trying to get [the registration link] on the city website's homepage, but it will be on the Parks & Rec main page if not."

The first payment option involves an annual $59 membership fee payable through ActiveNet, an online registration system already in place for department classes and facilities usage. Individual reservations will then cost registered members $1, money that will go directly to the city.

The second option is a flat $3.50 fee per visit, also payable through ActiveNet, with no annual fee. Of that amount, $2.38 will go to ActiveNet, the rest to the city.

The $59 membership fee plan is designed for frequent dune users, though membership does not grant them priority in line. Instead, all users will be allowed to make one reservation per day for a date at least two weeks out. A total of 20 people will be permitted on the dune per hour. Visitors will print out a paper confirmation of their online reservation, similar to an airline boarding pass, and present it along with a photo ID to a worker at the dune's entrance.

Gill said he has been hearing complaints from some residents who anticipate scaling the dune again. "They're saying going online to get a pass is a hassle," he said. "It's not a hassle; you do that [before] you board a plane."

Available weekday time slots include 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. or 3, 4:30 and 6 p.m., however evening hours will remain in place only so long as there is daylight. Saturday hours consist of three morning slots: 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. The dune's official opening date is Sunday, Aug. 1, though because Sundays are reserved for free and unrestricted use by children 12 and under, the reserved spots won't go into effect until the following day.

Although the registration system will start out by allowing daily visits, Gill told City Council last week, "We have the ability to [make visitors] go to like twice a week, if we wanted to—if we saw that they were hoarding and people were getting locked out."

Councilwoman Portia Cohen questioned whether this was the best approach. "I just don't understand why you would start liberal rather than conservative," she said. "And then if you had a hard time filling the spots… "

Councilman Nick Tell inquired if the system monitors how often someone is a no-show for a reservation and whether there will be a penalty applied.

"I think you want to have it so that [registrants] can't just simply book it so that it can't be used," Tell said. "That's what I would worry about."

Gill replied that he would keep track of suspicious reservation activity but that no penalty for repeat no-shows is currently in place.

"You know, there are so many 'what if' scenarios," said interim City Manager Richard Thompson. "We sat down and we've been brainstorming this stuff for months. And we finally said, 'Let's try it and let's watch it carefully. Give us the flexibility to make changes. We're gonna come back and report to you and if something's not working, I'm sure we're going to hear about it."

Gill said the dune's temporary fencing—which currently serves to cordon off the southside area for exercise, while also protecting a rare plant species that has been discovered growing on the northside—will be kept in place until at least September.

At that time, staff will go before council with comparative bids for a permanent fence, as part of a wider list of capital improvement projects.

At its meeting, the council allocated $49,000 for a contract with Belaire-West Landscape, Inc. to complete a dune restoration project that includes imported sand designed to protect the discovered plant. The council also approved $7,000 for materials testing and contingency costs, as well as another $10,000 for "minor improvements," such as slope grubbing, and the addition of trash cans and a bench.

To read the complete staff report on the dune project presented at the July 6 council meeting, click here.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story listed an incorrect cost of $56,000 for the contract with Belaire-West Landscape.