By KENNY WALTER
Staff Writer
SEA BRIGHT — The Borough Council took another step to begin charging for beach parking this summer.
The council passed a resolution, 3-2, to allow the borough to begin soliciting vendors for a charged parking plan for municipal lots, which Councilman Charles Rooney III said would benefit local businesses. There are nearly 600 spaces in the lots.
“Six months ago, I didn’t know anything about paid parking,” Rooney said. “The more I researched it, I was quite surprised at a lot of answers of business owners I deal with how they seriously opposed paid parking. And after it was installed, they realized how much they benefited.”
The council is considering implementing six parking kiosks at the borough’s beach lots in an effort to bring in additional revenues, possibly to offset the costs associated with superstorm Sandy.
Although no decision was made, the prominent thought during the meeting was that the borough would charge $1 an hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also discussed was the possibility of continuing to charge for parking at night at a reduced rate.
Councilman William Keeler said he voted against the measure because he’d like to spend the summer studying the benefits of paid parking, suggesting that this year the borough raise daily beach badges from $8 to $10.
“Paid parking is a good idea, but there is another way we can go for this year that will generate good revenue without doing something that will possibly hurt the businesses or downtown residents,” he said.
While the council approved the resolution, Mayor Dina Long said the next step is to solidify the actual plan.
“I think what the subsequent vote for the council needs to be the development of the parking program, which will spell it out and will involve additional meetings with the stakeholders involved,” Long said.
However, several residents opposed the measure, saying it would have a negative impact on residents and business owners.
Long said the borough will consider exactly how to craft the parking regulations so it does not negatively impact the local businesses, including the possibility of making the first half-hour of parking free.
“Council needs to figure out how to accommodate the businesses and what accommodations are needed,” she said.
Brian George, owner of Ocean Avenue clothing store Northshore, was concerned with the impact to local businesses.
“I’m sensitive that the borough needs revenue, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of spaces close to businesses,” he said.