- November 16, 2024
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Flagler Beach’s discussion of paid parking at the beach has included plenty of anecdotes about what goes on elsewhere: Residents calling themselves “South Florida refugees” have appealed to city commissioners not to add meters or payment kiosks they think would make the town look like a South Florida metropolis.
Others have said paid parking would scare off the tourists; Palm Coasters have said they’d avoid Flagler Beach and go elsewhere.
Commissioners have pushed back, with Commissioner Joy McGrew noting at a meeting that people in the Northeast pay $20 to park at the beach, and Commissioner Kim Carney going even further, saying of other Florida cities, “They all have (paid parking). … Every single oceanside city has paid parking now.”
But there’s been little hard fact presented on parking policies in other Florida cities at those meetings, and Carney’s statements about beachgoers elsewhere all having to pay to park was incorrect: About as many small Florida beach towns have free parking as paid parking, and a few have parking plans that offer free parking at or near the beach in some areas but paid parking options in others.
What the neighbors are doing
There are 17 coastal Florida towns and cities other than Flagler Beach with census-projected 2013 populations of between 2,000 and 8,000 that have city-run parking spaces or lots along a public beach or within walking distance.
Of those, seven have entirely free parking, four have a combination of free parking and paid parking, and six have only paid parking (sometimes with passes available for city residents).
Near Flagler, St. Augustine Beach has free parking at and near its beaches, with no mechanism for charging, City Manager Max Royle said.
“From time to time there is talk of changing it,” and adding paid parking, he said. “Someone will mention it, a citizen will ask about it. … We, the city, will not be doing anything without the county’s cooperation.”
The reason? The county owns the largest parking lot near the beach, and it’s free, so if the city charged people to park in city-run lots, visitors could simply go to the free county-run one instead.
But Royle has seen a paid parking plan implemented elsewhere with great success, he said: in St. Petersburg Beach, a city of about 9,500, which added parking meters when he was city manager there in the 1980s.
“They were pretty successful,” he said, “and they metered every single street adjacent to the beach for the entire length of the city. … When I left, it was $1 an hour, and we had about 1,200 parking meters. People accepted them.” Residents could buy yearly passes for $5, and there wasn’t a drop-off in tourism, he said.
“For anybody in the Tampa area wanting to come (to the beach), we were the easiest city to reach, and they came. … The city made over a half a million a year on parking meters.”
Another city with free parking — Holmes Beach, a barrier island city of about 4,000 on Tampa Bay — has, like Flagler Beach, convened a parking committee to study a perceived congestion problem.
Also like Flagler Beach, Holmes Beach has seen the recommendations of its parking committee and decided to do further study before implementing anything.
But Holmes Beach’s problem comes from beachgoers parking up the right of way along residential streets, Mayor Bob Johnson said, and recommendations offered — like barring right of way parking for nonresidents — target that problem, and weren’t designed to bring in income.
“There’s been some talk for some time about paid parking, but it’s not been seriously looked at yet,” he said.
What’s next for Flagler?
The parking plan recommended by Flagler Beach’s now-sunsetted ad hoc parking committee — called Option 4 — would convert all free parking at or near the beach to paid parking for 36 weeks each year, with passes for city residents. Parking would cost $1 per hour streetside, and $5-$7 per day in city lots.
That plan would put Flagler Beach in the company of Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Surfside, Madeira Beach and Indialantic, which all charge nonresidents to park anywhere at or near the beach. Sanibel charges at $3 per hour.
But Flagler Beach is currently looking at combining the recommendations of Option 4 with those of a less drastic one: Option 3, which would add paid parking 36 weeks per year in city lots but keep on-street parking free.
That kind of hybrid, with payment required for certain desirable spots while others remain free, is used in Treasure Island, which has metered $1-$1.25/hour city-run lots alongside other public lots that are free.
Islamorada, another town with both free and paid parking, has public beach access only through two parks, only one of which charges an entry fee that covers parking. Indian Rocks Beach — which Public Services Director Gregg Mims described as “covered up with tourists” — has paid parking in one area with a restroom though a partnership with Pinellas County, but also offers multiple other free, city-run access points.
Redington Shores, another Pinellas County town, has a similar partnership with the county for one metered lot with a restroom, and also offers other free, city-run beach access parking areas at walkovers.
Flagler Beach is still working out the particulars of its plan.
City Manager Bruce Campbell said city workers are trying to open up 24 new parking spots — 12 on Eighth street, and another 12 at the south end of the boardwalk — before July 4. The city might be able to add another 50 spots by buying land for two more lots, he said.
For now, he’s not looking into adding paid parking spaces; that would come later.
City Commission Chairman Steve Settle said Flagler Beach is still doing its own research on what works where.
Settle mentioned one city — Tybee Island, a barrier island community in Georgia where public parking is $2 per hour — that makes more money from its paid parking program than from ad valorem taxes.
But Flagler Beach is still in the early phases of weaving together a parking plan, he said.
“The report that was filed by the ad hoc (parking) committee was a very good piece of work, but it asked a lot of questions that still remain to be answered,” Settle said. “One of the things that I think all the commissioners stressed to the ad hoc task force is the necessity to work with the businesses and the opportunity to work with the residents … so that we come up with something that is a win-win.”
BOX: WHO CHARGES?
Neptune Beach — FREE
This city still has 22 public access points along 1.2 miles of beach. Parking there and in a small downtown area is free. Beach-going tourists come in from the Jacksonville area.
Longboat Key — FREE
The town’s beaches are public, and parking is free. “We’re a small town; we’re not like Fort Lauderdale,” Public Works Director Juan Florensa said. “We don’t have that huge influx of tourists, so it’s never been an issue.”
Sanibel — PAID
All beach area parking is paid, with passes available to residents for a fee. Lot parking can be paid through annual passes or at $3 per hour.
Fort Myers Beach — PAID
The town has no free parking, relying on a combination of pay stations and 64 parking meters.
Treasure Island — MIXED
Treasure Island has metered ($1-$1.25) city-run parking lots, but also free roadside parking and a free lot at its city hall building and other areas within walking distance.
St. Augustine Beach — FREE
Parking along the beach is free, and the city has several large, free lots. The county also runs a free parking lot near the beach.
Islamorada — MIXED
One beachfront park, Founder’s Park, has a ($5-$8) entry fee that covers parking. Another access point, Anne’s Beach, is free. There is no other public beach access.
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea — PAID
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, an oceanside town that gets busy each spring and summer with beachgoers, uses meters and pay stations along the beach to charge visitors.
Surfside — PAID
All parking near the beach is metered. City residents can get passes to park for free in certain lots.
Madeira Beach — PAID
Madeira Beach has no free parking, and recently raised its hourly rates to $1.50. Residents get passes. There is no roadside parking right along the beach. City lots require payment.
Indian Rocks Beach — MIXED
Multiple access points are free. One lot, managed through a partnership between the city and Pinellas County, requires payment but has a restroom, which the free roadside access points don’t have.
Holmes Beach — FREE
The city has all free parking near the beach, but has created a committee to study parking congestion problems.
Indian River Shores — FREE
This mostly gated-residential town contains four public beach access points, three of which are run by the county, not the town (parking there is free). The fourth access point is a free walkover area.
Juno Beach — FREE
Juno Beach’s public parking near the beach is all free, and the town gets a heavy surge of visitors in beach season. Parking is also free at dune walkovers, which offer no restrooms.
Melbourne Beach — FREE
This small city has public beaches that are free to park at, as well as one small ocean park, which also has free parking. Other beaches within Brevard County also offer free parking.
Indialantic — PAID
Indialantic has plenty of roadside parking along the beach, all of it metered, as well as metered parking in beachfront James H. Nance Park.
Redington Shores — MIXED
The town has several free walkovers, as well as a free parking lot within walking distance of the beach. When the free parking fills up, people use a metered parking lot which is owned by the county but maintained by the town. The paid lot is also attractive to beachgoers because it has restrooms, unlike the free walkovers.
