Indian Rocks Beach votes to implement paid beach parking spots
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. - After years of debate, Indian Rocks Beach is inching closer to having paid parking. City commissioners unanimously voted on Tuesday night to end all free parking at beach access points.
City Hall was packed with people throughout the three-hour meeting, with around a dozen residents speaking during public comment.
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What we know:
After a lengthy discussion, commissioners went back and forth before eventually settling on a plan. Local leaders agreed that all beach access parking spots will cost $4.50 an hour, with enforcement starting at 8 a.m. and running until 10 p.m.
It’s a topic in Pinellas County that’s become pretty controversial with Indian Rocks Beach having the only beach in the county where you don’t have to pay for parking. Indian Rocks Beach Mayor Denise Houseberg acknowledged the frustration voiced by those in opposition of paid parking.
"It does seem like a punishment if you’re having to pay a service to our city," she said. "I understand why they’re angry."
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Houseberg also added that she hopes to explore solutions to soften the impact.
"I’m going to fight for giving at least two free days a month," she said. "Letting people park for free somedays."
Under the approved pilot program, 182 beach access parking spots will be converted to paid parking using the ParkMobile app.
"We have a lot of visitors that come to Indian Rocks Beach because it’s a beautiful beach," city manager Ryan Henderson said. "We’re just asking those visitors to help us maintain this community."
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By the numbers:
Henderson projects the program to generate more than $1 million each year and said that money would go directly towards addressing the city’s needs.
"It would go back into the community, would go back into our infrastructure needs, stormwater needs, maintenance needs and really just help us move forward," Henderson said.
Under the proposal, residents with blue parking decals would be exempt from paying for parking.
What they're saying:
Even so, neighbors such as Mark Bodine raised concerns about spillover parking in nearby neighborhoods.
"That’s going to create a problem for the residents driving down the street," he said. "It’s going to block the streets for police, fire, paramedics and ambulances."
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City officials said those concerns factored into plans to increase parking enforcement. Pending another city ordinance, parking violation fines may soon rise from $75 to $100.
Houseberg said the additional revenue is especially important as the city continues recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
"We run on a pretty lean budget," she said. "Any extra dollars we can get to continue repairing the city after the hurricane is great news."
What's next:
Local leaders aim to implement the paid parking program by May. Before that happens, city commissioners must approve a final resolution during their meeting in February.
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The Source: Information for this story was provided by FOX 13's Heather Healy.