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New structure proposed for Wades Beach

REPORTER FILE PHOTO | Wades Beach will have a new addition next summer if all goes well.
REPORTER FILE PHOTO | Wades Beach will have a new addition next summer if all goes well.

A new addition to Wades Beach will, if all goes according to plan, be in place in June.

Don D’Amato, an officer of the Shelter Island Lions Club, gave a presentation to the Town board on November 15 outlining a plan by the club to install an open-sided, covered wood pavilion. The new structure would be at the edge of the beach on the parking lot near the bathhouse.

According to Mr. D’Amato, preliminary estimates for materials range between $10,000 and $20,000 and the Lions will use donated labor and seek additional funding if needed. Mr. D’Amato noted that architect Pamela Pospisil, an Island resident, is willing to assist with the plans pro bono, and the town might also be asked to help with paving and work on the foundation.

The project is part of the Lions Club local chapter’s participation in what Mr. D’Amato said is the national organization’s “Centennial Celebration.” To honor the clubs founding in June 1917, individual chapters are offering “a permanent improvement” for the communities that they serve.

The purpose of the improvements is to “benefit people with special needs such as the disabled, seniors or the youth of the town,” Mr. D’Amato said.

The pavilion fits the bill, he said, since there are elderly residents and those in wheelchairs “who have difficulty walking on sand or sitting in the sun and we’d like to provide Islanders with a place to sit close to the beach, yet shaded from the sun, such as under a pavilion.”

The new structure — projected to be about 20 feet by 14 feet — would be ideal for older people who can enjoy a day at the beach with their grandchildren, he added.

It’s hoped that the Lions can cut the ribbon on the new facility in June, Mr. D’Amato said. The Town Board expressed a willingness to cooperate in the project and thanked Mr. D’Amato and the Lions for the proposal.