Gary Mayor Prince Partially Opens Beaches Friday
City of Gary Mayor Jerome A. Prince announced Tuesday the city’s beaches and Marquette Park will remain closed for two more days and will partially reopen from Friday, Aug. 14, through Labor Day, Sept. 7.
Mayor Prince said he closed the beaches and the park to help protect Gary residents and visitors from the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The newly announced reopening plan balances the community’s safety and enjoyment of outdoor recreation venues.
“I’m confident we have developed a plan to provide access to our beautiful beaches and parks while still controlling the number of people visiting the sites, which is important in our fight against the spread of the virus,” Mayor Prince said. “However, my team and I continue to monitor our COVID-19 cases very closely, and I retain the right to shut down the beaches and Marquette Park again if access to them jeopardizes our residents’ well-being.”
According to the reopening plan, the full closure will be lifted after Thursday, Aug. 13th. Beginning Aug. 14th, all public parking lots will be limited to 75 percent capacity. Once capacities have been reached, visitors will be turned away by city staff and police officers from the Gary Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.
All shelters near the beach will be limited to 75 percent capacity, as well. If the numbers of visitors exceed capacities at the shelters, police officers will advise guests to reduce their group sizes.
Visitors will not be allowed to park on residential streets near the beaches, Marquette Park or the Marquette Park Pavilion. Any visitors parked on private property without a resident’s permission or along residential streets will be ticketed and towed. Visitors who violate metered parking rules also may be towed. Following are the fees associated with tows:
• Prohibited parking citation:
$155 (before court fees)
•Towing fee: $180 plus $30/day storage
• Tow release: $50/vehicle
• Also, please note the Gary Police Department will not issue tow releases over the weekend.
The City of Gary will post signs on residential streets warning non-residents not to park in those residential areas.
Additionally, beach goers must not use inflatables on the beach; children must be within reach of parents or guardians; and visitors must swim only in areas protected by City of Gary lifeguards.
Also, City of Gary Police and Lake County Sheriff’s deputies may immediately remove visitors from the beach for inappropriate behaviors (e.g. littering, possession of alcohol, using grills on the beach, etc.) and issue $155 citations (before court fees).
Mayor Prince said it is important residents and visitors comply with city policies.
“We all want to enjoy the rest of our summer, but the health of our families, friends and neighbors is our highest priority,” he said.
