I guess what turned me around is the fact that the DPH (Massachusetts Department of Public Health) did open up a beach in Plymouth for trailers.”

Maury May

The Board of Health voted Friday to reverse course and allow house trailers, most of them anyway, to return to East Beach effective immediately.

The board also agreed that the lot owners may occupy those trailers so long as they abide by state coronavirus safety restrictions. 

On cue, tractors over the weekend began towing the first of what will become a slow-motion trailer caravan.

The BOH action apparently marks the end of promised legal action by the East Beach Association in response to a series of BOH actions delaying the trailers’ arrival.

Trailers are normally allowed to return to their beach lots starting May 1, but the BOH first postponed that until May 4, and then to May 18, in response to extensions of Governor Charlie Baker’s stay-at-home orders.

Those orders are still in place but it was a decision involving Plymouth, Mass., that changed minds here.

“I guess what turned me around is the fact that the DPH (Massachusetts Department of Public Health) did open up a beach in Plymouth for trailers.” That beach, he said, is state property but some of the lots are owned, or at least leased, by private individuals.

And while the governor’s stay-at-home order remains in place, the DPH is part of his administration so could be seen as acting with his approval, Mr. May said.

Board Chairman Philip Weinberg made the motion to rescind the earlier order banning trailers from the beach until May 18, and it was approved by unanimous 3-0 vote.

Town Health Director Matt Armendo supported the action, on condition that the trailers not all arrive at once, as had been promised.

He also cautioned that this “is not over,” and that it is now up to the trailer owners to abide by state coronavirus safety rules, including 14-day self-quarantine for those coming in from out of state.

“I put a lot of weight on Kevin’s (Kevin Curt, president of the East Beach Improvement Association) repeated commitments on behalf of his members to follow the orders of the state designed to protect everybody.”

“I’d really like to thank you guys for considering our proposal in a timely fashion,” Mr. Curt replied. “I appreciate everybody’s efforts to keep people from becoming ill.”

He also assured the board that there will be no mad rush of trailers — that the arrival will be gradual as always — he estimated 8 to 12 per weekend.

Last week, Mr. Curt had proposed to the BOH and selectmen a compromise that would have allowed lot owners to bring their trailers back to the beach and set them up, but not occupy them until May 18 at the earliest. 

The new ruling makes that unnecessary; Mr. Weinberg also said he believed that would have been difficult to oversee and enforce.

Mr Curt showed the board (via camera since this was a remote meeting) a thick “move-in plan” packet including safety rules that will be distributed to all association members.

Septic issues linger

The wait could be longer for some lot owners.

Mr. Armendo that there are still 16 properties from which the health department has not received results from required septic system inspections. “My recommendation to the Board of Selectmen is that they not be allowed occupancy until that is cleared up,” he said.

Mr. Kurt said he agrees and will attempt to contact those 16 to “see if we can get that (number) down to zero.”

Trailers each year need occupancy permits from the Board of Selectmen — over 50 had already been approved as of Friday.