Town of Chatham Recreation and Beaches
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Rules & Regulations


BEACH AND PARK
RULES AND REGULATIONS
General Statement of Purpose:

The Town of Chatham Park and Recreation Commission have purpose over the established public
beaches and parks in the Town of Chatham.

The following areas and facilities are overseen and under the purview of the Chatham
Parks and Recreation Department &Commission.

PARKS/BEACHES/OTHER
Chase Park, Cockle Cove Beach, Harding Beach Picnic Area
Kate Gould Park, Forest Beach Rotary / with State DPW
Nickerson Park,Harding Beach: east and west of the Stage Harbor entrance cut
Veterans Field, Sears Park, Jackknife Harbor Beach, Little League Field
Veterans Park, Oyster Pond Beach, Chatham Community Center
Volunteer Park, Pleasant Street Beach, South Chatham Playground
Ridgevale Beach, Depot Rd. Tennis Courts/Pickleball courts
Schoolhouse Pond Beach,  Skateboard Park, South Beach, North Beach Island
Lighthouse Beach, Pickleball Courts Stepping Stones Road, White Pond

Non-criminal penalties established herein will result from citation issued by Chatham Police
Officers.

1. General

1.1 Functions, gatherings or other unscheduled group activities in beach or park areas are
prohibited except with written permission in advance from the Director of Parks and
Recreation and or the Park and Recreation Commission. Groups are defined as 10 people
or more. Such activities shall be limited to recognized organizations, residents, taxpayers
or other groups obtaining proper Park and Recreation Department authorization. The
person named on the permit agrees to assume responsibility for the group, and shall also
be responsible for clean-up of the area and for the conduct of all members of the using
group. Persons requesting permission for group use must be at least 18 years of age.
Automobiles parked at any function shall be controlled by the organization in charge of
the event. A police officer will be on duty if deemed necessary by the Chatham Police
Department and the user shall pay all costs associated to providing police coverage. A
fee, and or security deposit may be required to cover clean-up or any other expenses, as
determined by the Director of Parks and Recreation and or the Park and Recreation
Commission. Penalty - $150.00

1.2 Open fires of any kind are forbidden on any beach or in any park area. However charcoal
or gas grills are allowed. Charcoal grills are available for public use in certain areas
(Chase Park, Oyster Pond Beach). Penalty - $75.00

1.3 Littering of beach or park areas with rubbish or refuse is prohibited and subject to penalty.
The deposit of household trash, rubbish, refuse, or garbage in park or beach litter
containers is prohibited. Penalty - $250.00

1.4 The erection of tents and /or parking of trailers or mobile homes in park or beach areas
are banned. Camping or sleeping after dusk in park or beach areas is banned. Penalty - $250.00

1.5 Domesticated animals in park or beach areas must be restrained. Defecation must be
picked up and removed. Penalty - $50.00

1.6 Dogs, cats, horses and other livestock, domestic animals and pets are banned from May 1st
to September 15th of each year in beach areas, with the exception of service animals and
police K-9 animals. Domestic animals are banned on the playing fields of the: Little
League Field, Veterans Field, and Volunteer Park. Dogs are allowed at Jackknife Harbor
Beach before 9:00am and after 6:00pm from May 1st to September 15th. Penalty - $50.00

1.75 All dogs, cats, horses and other livestock, domesticated animals and pets are prohibited
from all areas designated and marked as closed due to endangered shorebird nesting
habitat from the date that they are marked and posted until September 15th. Penalty - $50.00

1.7 Alcoholic beverages are banned in park or beach areas at any time except with the written
permission of the Board of Selectmen. Only private Non-Profit organizations based in
Chatham may request a waiver of this regulation. Penalty - $200.00

1.8 Town of Chatham beaches and beach parking areas are officially closed from 10:00pm
until one hour before sunrise. Parks are closed from 10:00pm until 6:00am, except at
Veterans Field which will close 30 minutes after the conclusion of authorized evening
events. Penalty - $50.00

1.9 No commercial vendors will be allowed in parks or at beaches without Park and
Recreation Commission approval. Food vendors shall have Park and Recreation
Commission authorization in writing and shall have a common victualler and
peddler's license and necessary Board of Health, Board of Selectmen permits, and will
either have a resident parking sticker or pay current fees. No parking spaces are reserved
or assigned except to concessionaires and beach personnel in the employ of the Park and
Recreation Department. Penalty - $50.0

1.10 Public nudity, including public nude bathing, by any person in parks or beaches under the
jurisdiction of the Chatham Park and Recreation Commission is prohibited. Public nudity
is a person's intentional failure to cover with a fully opaque covering that person's own
genitals, pubic areas, or female breasts below an area below a point immediately above the
top of the areola when in a public place. Public place is any area of land under jurisdiction
of the Chatham Park and Recreation Commission, except the enclosed portions of
bathhouses, restrooms, or other public structures designed for similar purposes, or private
structures permitted within the parks or beach areas. This regulation shall not apply to a
person under 5 years of age. Penalty- $100.00

1.11 Malicious damage and stealing of Town of Chatham property will be prosecuted to the
full extent of the law.

2. PARKS

2.1 No organized events are allowed in any town park prior to 7:00 AM or after 10 PM.

2.2 The parking of vehicles in Chatham park or beach areas for more than 16 consecutive
hours is prohibited except by permission of the Park and Recreation Commission. Penalty - $50.00

2.3 Sears Park has been established as a memorial. There shall be no loitering or picnicking
in this area. Penalty- $25.00

2.4 Sales in park areas of any kind are prohibited. Except with advanced written permission of
the Park and Recreation Commission and Chatham Board of Selectmen. No solicitation of
any type is permitted at Kate Gould Park. Penalty - $50.00

2.5 No motor vehicles or trailers shall be operated in any park except for Park and Recreation
department, police or emergency vehicles. Penalty - $50.00

2.6 All commercial sale activities are prohibited in and/or on the: Little League Field,
Veteran's Field and Volunteer Park, except with the advanced written permission of the
Park and Recreation Commission. Penalty- $50.00

2.7

2.8 After any authorized use of parks, the grounds shall be left clean and orderly.  Penalty - $50.00

3. BEACHES

3.1 The operation of boats, wind surfers, water skis or similar may not be conducted within
150 feet of designated swim areas, marked by buoys, at Cockle Cove Beach, Harding
Beach, Oyster Pond Beach, Ridgevale Beach, and Schoolhouse Pond Beach, except for
emergency or police, Harbormaster or Park and Recreation department boats. Penalty - $100.00

3.2 Playing ball, use of a frisbee, kite flying or skim boards in swim areas on beaches or in the
water is banned if it creates a safety issue for other beach users as determined in the sole
discretion of Park and Recreation department staff.  Penalty - $25.00

3.3 Beach buggies, recreational vehicles, off-road vehicles and any other vehicles are forbidden
to traverse beaches, dune areas or parks, except for Park and Recreation department,
Harbormaster department or emergency vehicles. Penalty- $250

3.4 Climbing or jumping off dunes is banned. Use established paths and walkways as marked.
Penalty - $200.00

3.5 No children under 13 years of age may attend any beach unless accompanied by an adult.
Any minor child on a beach or park of the Town is the responsibility of the minor child's
parents and or guardian or other person/persons who may be in charge of minor children, as
in the case of picnics, group gatherings, school or church outings or field trips, or any other
group functions. Penalty - $100.00

3.6 After the official closing time (10:00 p.m.) only persons actively engaged in fishing
activities shall be permitted on beaches.

3.7 No person shall use rafts, rubber tubes, any flotation device, or scuba gear as swimming
accessories in a designated swim area, except for rescue and U.S. Coast Guard approved
type flotation Life Jackets. Penalty - $25.00

3.8 No person shall operate any motor vehicle in any park or beach area at a rate of speed
greater than 15 miles per hour. All state motor vehicle laws are applicable in park and
beach areas.

3.9 Parking is only allowed in designated parking spaces. All marked roadways, lanes and
emergency vehicle lanes shall be kept open and free of parked vehicles at all times. Any
blocking vehicle may be ticketed and towed at the owner's expense.

3.10 No vehicle other than wheelchairs shall traverse or stand on any vegetated area or use any
handicap ramp. Penalty - $25.00

3.11 Protective measures around nesting piping plover areas and other shore birds are to be
preserved and not entered. Penalty - $50.00

3.12 No glass containers allowed at beaches. Penalty - $50.00

3.13 No person shall enter the water in an area designated by the Park and Recreation
Commission as a no swimming zone. If on any day a Chatham Lifeguard/Harbormaster
determines that conditions in an area normally open to swimming are unsafe, they may
prohibit swimming at that time subject to the same fine for a violation.
Penalty - $50.00

3.15 All dinghies, prams, kayaks, sailboats and other forms of watercraft used as
transportation on the water and stored along Town Beaches shall either display a decal
issued by the Harbormaster or the Parks and Recreation Department, or by other
means, that clearly indicates ownership and contact information of the watercraft. All
aforementioned watercraft shall not be permitted to be stored on town-owned property
after November 30 or before April 15 of each year unless it is in active use by the
owner. Penalty - $150

Certain of the above rules and regulations may be suspended from time to time by majority vote
of the Chatham Park and Recreation Commission.

The above rules and regulations do not, nor are they intended to, supersede, take the place of,
replace, make void or repeal any Town of Chatham By-Law, any County By-Law, any State Law,
Federal Law or any fines or legal punishments that are applicable in any instance.
CHATHAM PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION


As adopted and voted at the Park and Recreation Commission meeting of: April 10, 2018.
All rules and regulations herein will be reviewed on an annual basis or not to exceed every 2 years.

https://www.chatham-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/846/Park-Recreation-Rules-Regulations-PDF


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