Twenty Most Frequently Asked Recreation Questions?
Q. What happened to the Phelps Lane Pool? A. The Phelps Lane Pool is under construction and will be closed during the 2002 summer. It will reopen for the 2003 summer with improved facilities; including a new pool building and three new pools for your enjoyment.
Q. What is a resident beach permit? A. A resident beach permit offers you unlimited entrance into the Town of Babylon's ocean and bay beaches for the entire summer. The permits are available to all Town of Babylon residents for a small fee.
Q. Where can I purchase a resident beach permit? A. For your convenience resident beach permits can be purchased in three locations; the Tax Receiver's Office in Town Hall located at 200 E Sunrise Highway in Lindenhurst, the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs located at 151 Phelps Lane in North Babylon, and at Cedar Marina located off Ocean Parkway.
Q. What information do I need in order to purchase a resident beach permit? A. Please bring your car registration and a utility bill to verify residency in the Town of Babylon.
Q. How much are resident beach permits? A. Beach permits are $25 and $15 for senior citizens.
Q. What facilities can I gain entrance to with a resident beach permit? A. A beach permit allows you access to Cedar Beach, Cedar Marina, Gilgo Beach, and Overlook Beach, which are all located off Ocean Parkway. Please note that Overlook Beach is exclusively for Town of Babylon residents who have purchased a beach permit. The beach permit also allows you to enjoy the Town of Babylon's two bay beaches, Tanner Park in Copiague and Venetian Shores in Lindenhurst. Please note that a Town beach permit does NOT qualify you for free entrance into New York State facilities including Robert Moses, Jones Beach, and Hechtsher State Park.
Q. What if I don't want to purchase a beach permit, can I still enjoy the Town of Babylon's ocean and bay beaches? A. Yes, residents and non-residents can gain access to all the ocean and bay beaches (except Overlook beach) by paying an entrance fee. The fees vary from weekdays, weekends, and holidays. However, for avid beach goers we suggest that you purchase a resident beach permit.
Q. What is the Recreation Guide and what kind of information does it provide? A. The Town of Babylon Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs produces the Recreation Guide each year to provide residents with information about the various programs, camps, and facilities the Town has to offer. In the guide you will find the names and phone numbers for Town recreation facilities, registration date and times for Town programs, and information on annual Town events including the Beach Blast and Summer Theater Workshop. Remember that the Recreation Guide distributed in May contains information about all the Departments programs for the entire year so keep it handy. The guide contains the dates and times for the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs' fall, winter, and spring events and programs. These include the Halloween Haunted House, the Tree Lighting at Town Hall, the Spring Egg Extravaganza and a wide variety of other activities.
Q. Where and when can I get a Recreation Guide? A. By the middle of May every Town resident should receive a guide in the mail. If you do not receive your Recreation Guide by the third week in May ask your postman if he or she has any or stop by and pick one up at Town Hall or the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs.
Q. Where is the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs located and how do I get there? A. The Parks Department is located at 151 Phelps Lane in North Babylon. From Sunrise Highway take exit 40 and follow the signs for Deer Park Avenue North; once you are on DPA Phelps Lane is the left immediately before North Babylon High School. From the Southern State Parkway take exit 39 South Deer Park Avenue; once you are on DPA Phelps Lane is the right immediately after North Babylon High School. From Montauk Highway make a left on Deer Park Avenue; Phelps lane is the left immediately before North Babylon High School.
Q. What are the names and locations of the Town of Babylon pools? A. The Town staffs and operates six pools; one can be found in virtually every hamlet in the Town.
The Town pools are:
Anthony Sanchez Memorial Pool in West Babylon, North Lindenhurst Pool in Lindenhurst, North Amityville Pool in Amityville, Geiger Lake Pool in Wyandanch, Fabio Buttitta Pool in Deer Park, and Phelps Lane Pool in North Babylon. PLEASE note that Phelps Lane Pool is under construction for the 2002 summer and will reopen for the summer of 2003.
Q. How can I gain access to the Town Pools? A. The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs offers pool plans for families of four as well as individual pool plans. All pool plans include unlimited access to any of the six town pools for the entire summer. Pool plans can be purchased at the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs. Pool plans are only offered to Town of Babylon residents. If you are a resident who chooses not to purchase a pool plan or a non-resident you can purchase daily pool tickets at the pool you wish to visit. Please note that non-residents pay a higher daily pool fee than residents of the Town of Babylon.
Q. How old do you have to be to enroll in the Town of Babylon's Summer Day Camp Program? A. In order to enroll in Day Camp children must have completed kindergarten. Children that have completed the sixth grade and are 12 years old are still eligible for day camp but those children who have completed the seventh grade and are 12 are not eligible for Day Camp.
Q. What do I need to bring to register for Day Camp? A. Residents can sign up for day camp via mail or walk-in registration at the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs. If registering by mail please send in the Day Camp application, which can be found in the Recreation Guide, a copy of your child's birth certificate to verify age, and a copy of a utility bill or child's report card to verify residency in the Town of Babylon. If you have already gotten your fun pass, simply send a copy of the fun pass; only if you know all the children you are registering for day camp are listed on your fun pass. We recommend that you register via mail to ensure a spot. Registration is on a first come first served basis. If you choose to register in person please bring copies of the same items listed above or your fun pass. Again, only rely on the fun pass for registration if you know all the children you wish to register are listed on your fun pass.
Q. Is Day Camp full time? A. No, Day Camp is a half-day program. Children can enroll in either the a.m. session from 9-12 or the p.m. session from 1-4. Each session runs Monday thru Friday for five weeks. Please note that children CANNOT sign up for both the a.m. and p.m. session.
Q. What items should children bring to camp daily? A. Children should bring a towel on pool days and a snack everyday.
Q. How and when can I get an application for seasonal employment with the Town of Babylon Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs? A. Hardworking applicants can stop by the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs to pick up applications starting Monday, March 11th. Please remember you must be at least 16 years old to work for the Town.
Q. Does the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs provide senior citizen discounts? A. Yes, senior citizens can receive discounted pool passes, beach permits, and summer theater workshop tickets.
Q. Where can I get camping, docking, and 4 wheeling permits? A. All of these permits can be obtained in the Town Clerk's Office located in Town Hall.
Q. Are animals permitted at the beaches? A. No, animals are prohibited from all Town Beaches.
Q. Does the Parks Department take care of tree trimming or animal control? A. No, the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs is not responsible for tree repair or animal control. For tree repair questions call the highway complaint line at 957-3089. Animal control problems can be reported to the Office of Citizen Services at 957-7474. Both offices are open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
