Good evening, this is First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons with today’s weekly update.

As we swing into the full summer season, a reminder that Madison Fireworks will be holding its annual fireworks show this Friday, July 2nd at 9:30 p.m. with a rain date of July 5th. 

Holiday Weekend Parking Policies

Due to the expected high visitor volume next weekend at our beaches, the Town will be implementing a number of special event parking policies exclusively for the long July 4th holiday weekend (Friday, July 2nd through Monday, July 5th).  

• No beach parking stickers or daily parking passes will be sold at the Surf Club on Friday, July 2nd, or throughout the long holiday weekend. All seasonal beach stickers, resident, and non-resident daily parking passes must be purchased in advance at the Surf Club office Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. and on Friday, July 2nd, at the Madison Visitor Center/Chamber of Commerce Office at 12 School Street. Town staff will be stationed in the Visitor Center next Friday from 8:30 a.m.  - to 12:00 p.m. for the sale of stickers and daily parking passes.
• Please purchase any resident or non-resident daily passes you may need for the holiday weekend by noon on Friday. Sale of non-resident daily parking passes will be limited in order to ensure adequate parking for Town residents. 
• Madison residents can purchase seasonal beach stickers on-line through the Beach & Recreation website and use their receipt as proof of residency for up to ten days after the purchase date.
• Purchase of a beach sticker or a daily parking pass does not guarantee parking availability.  Once a parking lot is filled, all cars will be turned away regardless of a pass so please plan accordingly. Visitors and residents can request a refund for a daily parking pass if it is unused.  
• Parking at Lowry Field over the holiday weekend will require a beach sticker or daily parking pass. Lowry will be staffed from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. on Friday, July 2nd, and from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

For the July 2nd fireworks only: 

• Gate hours will be extended at the Surf Club Gate, East Wharf Gate, and Lowry from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Any resident or guest wishing to park for the fireworks at these lots will need a seasonal beach sticker or daily parking pass.
• Parking at West Wharf will be prohibited starting mid-morning on Friday to allow for the set-up of the fireworks.  
• The Town will be running shuttle buses to the Surf Club on a continuous loop starting at 7 p.m. with stops at the 79/Commuter Lot, the Madison Train Station, and the Stop ‘n Shop parking lot.

July 4th Parade

The Madison Exchange Club will be sponsoring its annual Independence Day parade on Sunday, July 4th. Step off will be at 10 a.m. from the Stop n Shop parking lot and conclude at the Surf Club. This will result in a significant amount of congestion at West Wharf and the Surf Club in the hours following the parade. Please plan your beach day accordingly, and keep informed of planned road closures and parking restrictions.  When parking your vehicles along the parade route in advance, please be mindful that families with small children and seniors will be lining the route. We ask you do not block key viewing locations with parked cars.  

All road closure information and beach policies for the long holiday weekend is available on the Town website.

Community Survey

Madison Public Schools is reaching out to the broader community to solicit input on plans for a construction project that in part would build a new Pre-K – 5th grade elementary school, convert Brown School to a K-5 building, and update Polson Middle School. The District is using a new tool, ThoughtExchange, to collect and review your feedback. Your responses to this exchange will assist the District in moving a building project forward. This exchange is now open and will close at 5:00 PM on Friday, July 30th. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts on this building project by visiting https://my.thoughtexchange.com/scroll/565326337/welcome.

Madison Alerts

A reminder that starting in July, I will be shifting my weekly community updates to a bi-weekly schedule every other Friday, so on July 2, July 16, July 30, etc. Please note that you can change how you receive these messages from Madison Alerts, whether by voice, email or text, by updating your account settings at www.madisonct.org/madisonalerts. You can also unsubscribe at any time. 

Have a great weekend Madison.

Peggy Lyons
First Selectwoman