HAMPTON, Va. — The North Beach area at Fort Monroe will return to normal hours starting Saturday after a weekend curfew was implemented last month, according to a spokesperson for the Fort Monroe Authority.
The capacity turnaround area will stay through the summer. Guests will be redirected at Battery DeRussy to other places to park if businesses in the North Beach area reach capacity before 9 p.m.
The curfew was put in place on Saturday, June 11, because of safety concerns in the area, including a shooting that hurt a woman on June 5. The area was closed from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
When announcing the curfew, National Park Service Superintendent Eola Dance said officials had seen more public disturbances in the weekend evening hours at North Beach and in the associated parking areas.
"We must do our part to reduce public safety hazards and attempt to stop potential violence before it starts," Dance said.
A few days after the curfew took effect, the owner of Paradise Ocean Club, located at Fort Monroe, said it was hurting business and hoped it would be lifted soon.
“We took a significant financial hit. I have employees that are questioning if we are going to get back to regular hours because it’s important for them to pay bills," Paradise Ocean Club owner Baxter Simmons told 13News Now in June.
During the curfew, NPS officers said they would work with the Hampton Police Division to enforce the rules and create a safer environment for people in the area.
