Spending a day at the seashore could get more expensive this spring, when the City of St. Augustine Beach is planning to start charging for parking.
The City Commission has approved a paid parking plan that includes a fee structure for visitors and residents.
Mayor Undine George said all that’s left for the five commissioners to do now is to decide exactly how beachgoers will pay to park their cars.
“We are not installing any meters. There will not be any hard infrastructure. That’s also one of the reasons why we’re keeping a quarter of the parking free is that we’re rolling out a pay-by-phone app system,” said George.
Commissioners will vote on the proposal Tuesday when they’ll also entertain public comment on the parts of the plan they already approved.
St. Augustine Beach contractor Dennis Dean said he’ll be at the meeting to speak out against the plan.
“We’d like them to slow it down and to make sure that people want it, that it’s going to be something that’s cost effective, that it’s going to be of benefit to the community and that it’s not going to end up an extra tax burden.”
The plan would impact around 300 parking spaces, including some in private subdivisions.
The fees would range from 50 cents an hour for local residents to $2.50 an hour for visitors.
Dean says a lawsuit isn’t out of the question.
“We have talked to counsel and are totally prepared to move forward if they don’t stop what they’re doing. Yep.”
Tuesday’s St. Augustine Beach City Commission meeting starts at 5 p.m. at City Hall at 200 A1A S, St. Augustine, Fla 32080.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter @cydwjctnews.
Photo used under Creative Commons license.
