INDIAN HARBOUR BEACH, Fla. – Could it be the end of free parking in a small beach town?
In Indian Harbour Beach, some people say they don’t even enjoy going to the beach anymore because they can no longer find a parking spot.
Those residents think if the city charged for parking, their two small beach parks would be less crowded.
”Every time I try to go to my own beach, I can’t even park, which is the most upsetting thing to me, so we need to do something, whether that’s paid parking or resident parking,” Nick Kaplewicz addressed the city council in June. “I know the boot thing isn’t very popular and the enforcement is an issue, but I’m confident we can figure all these things out,” he said.
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Satellite Beach boots people now instead of ticketing. Cocoa Beach, Indialantic and Melbourne Beach all of have paid parking at the beach, as well.
Indian Harbour Beach will revisit the discussion at another meeting Tuesday night at city hall.
News 6 reporter James Sparvero met Angie Strong at Bicentennial Beach, and she said non-residents should pay for parking, but locals like her should not.
”I think the locals should not have to pay because we live here, and the money they’d make off the parking of people that come to visit would clean up the beaches after they leave,” Strong said.
Strong also commented on the parks getting more crowded.
”It’s awful,” she said. “People are parking on the grass when it gets too busy.”
At the meeting at city hall in June, Mayor Scott Nickle called on locals to take a survey for what they’d like to see the city do.
No final recommendation is expected at Tuesday night’s meeting, either.
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