City Looks Into Charging for Beach Parking

During Thursday's City Council Workshop, Council member Sam Henderson suggested charging a fee for people to park in the shell/beach parking lot during weekends. This after Community Development Director Fred Metcalf presented a parking survey completed in 2004 and then updated in 2008 concerning parking needs including metered and timed parking.

“I’m just trying to think of a way we can generate some kind of a profit,” Henderson said.

Previously, Henderson suggested looking into adding a parking kiosk for people to use when they park at the beach, much like what is used at beach parking facilities in St. Pete Beach. But, at this meeting Henderson said the kiosk would be too expensive for the city to have.

Council member Jennifer Salmon added during the discussion saying this idea, “allows people who do need to be closer, the opportunity to pay $5 to be closer.”

Vice Mayor David Hastings seemed to disagree with the idea, “or we can charge $5 and no one ever uses them again.”

“I’m just throwing out some ideas here,” Sam Henderson said.

“What I appreciate is all your thought of looking for ways of . . . stabilizing our financial challenges,” Mayor Mike Yakes said.

Following the discussion, City Manager James O’Reilly and Community Development Director Fred Metcalf will crunch the numbers to see how much the city could generate if people had to pay to use the 108 spots of shell parking at the beach during the weekends and bring it back to the council at a future date.

O’Reilly said he’ll also talk with the trolley driver to see if the shell lot is full or not on Friday and Saturday nights, to get an overall feel if people use the lot. 

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Do we need more parking spaces in the Waterfront District?

During the workshop, Fred Metcalf explained that while people may think there is not enough parking in the Waterfront area, there actually is a surplus of spaces.

According to the study there are 997 on and off street parking spaces available located in the downtown area, Gulfport Public Library, Recreation Center, Theater and Senior Center. He says only 823 are required by use, meaning required by all the businesses and residents needed on a day-to-day basis. That yields a 174 parking space surplus. Metcalf noted that the prime spaces are between the 2900 and 3100 blocks.

“There is parking, it’s just not always where people might want it,” Metcalf said.