Indian Rocks Beach leaders to vote on paid parking near beach access points
Vote planned on beach parking costs
In Pinellas County, the final few free parking spots could soon be a thing of the past. Indian Rocks Beach commissioners will vote Tuesday on whether or not to implement paid parking. FOX 13's Blake DeVine reports.
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. - The last remaining free beach parking spots in Pinellas County could soon be a thing of the past.
Indian Rocks Beach commissioners will vote Tuesday night on whether to implement paid parking near beach access points.
What we know:
Under the proposal, 182 beach access parking spots would cost $4.50 an hour, using the ParkMobile app.
Local perspective:
Carolina Carrasco, who lives in Clearwater, frequently drives to the beach for walks along the shoreline.
"To connect with nature, it’s super important," Carrasco said. "So now, we have to pay for parking, it’s a lot."
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She worries the hourly cost would have her thinking twice about a sunset stop.
What they're saying:
Indian Rocks Beach City Manager Ryan Henderson said this pilot program could bring in significant revenue, adding that the money would be used to address stormwater infrastructure, maintenance needs and improve beach access.
"In terms of the money that we would raise off of our paid parking program, we’re talking about conservatively over a million dollars," he said.
For years, Indian Rocks Beach has been the only beach community in Pinellas County without paid parking. Vice Mayor-Commissioner Janet Wilson said the city is looking to follow the path of neighboring beach towns.
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"The other cities have utilized their funds to do things for their citizens," she said. "It’s time for us to get those funds and do things for our citizens."
City officials said residents would still be able to park for free in designated resident-only spaces and public parking areas. They would need blue resident parking stickers to access those spots.
Wilson said the changes would benefit both residents and visitors by improving public spaces.
"Even those residents from other areas who are coming to use our beach," she said. "They will benefit from the standpoint that we will have more infrastructure and keep beach access nice."
What's next:
Local leaders are scheduled to vote on the paid parking proposal during their city commission meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Public comment will be allowed at Indian Rocks Beach City Hall.
If approved, the city commissioners would fine-tune the details for this pilot program before a final vote in February.
The Source: Information for this story came from statements from the City of Indian Rocks Beach, interviews with city commissioners and reporting from previous coverage on FOX 13 News.