INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. — Indian Rocks Beach commissioners advanced a plan on Tuesday to implement a paid parking pilot program at beach accesses.
The program would test out paid parking at 182 public parking spots and charge $4.50 an hour, seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The ordinance still needs a second reading and another vote in February before it takes effect.
Fred Vanore shared what he thinks makes the beach so special.
WATCH: Indian Rocks Beach to consider proposed paid parking program at beach access spots
"It's basically beach-friendly for the average tourist or the average resident,” Vanore said.
Right now, parking spots are free.
“We presented a pilot program. We have about 360-something public parking spots in Indian Rocks Beach. We looked at only focusing on 182 of those, a little more than half of that, and just focus on the beach access points for now, and then in six months time, we would look at implementing paid parking throughout the city at all of our public parking spots," said City Manager Ryan Henderson. "Right now what's been presented to council, what council has discussed at a commission meeting during a work session item, would be to set the rate at $4.50 (an hour) for paid public parking at our beach access points, at the 182, public access points, and then that charge would be from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and then seven days a week."
Henderson said the City Commission has talked about paid parking for years.
"We've run estimates on how much money we would receive, how much revenue we would receive through the program, and conservatively over a million dollars, anywhere up to two, $2.5 million,” said Henderson.
Henderson’s understanding, he said, is that this is the only city in Pinellas County that offers free parking.
"The revenue that would come in through our paid parking program would go back into the community, would go back into our community investment projects, where focusing on stormwater resiliency, focusing on maintenance, focusing on just keeping Indian Rocks Beach the special place that it is,” said Henderson.
Henderson said residents would continue to be able to park free at beach access points, just displaying a residential decal on their car.
Tampa Bay 28 asked people their thoughts on the measure.
"Well as I told you, it sucks, and basically what you're doing is you're commercializing everything and just ignoring the residents who pay taxes to make these beaches beautiful,” said Vanore.
Anne Torsney thinks it's a good idea, bringing revenue in for the city.
"I'm anxious to see how it works. I really am,” said Torsney. "But I think it's been coming, and we've been talking about it for a few years. There are some areas just further down that have paid parking, so we'll see. We'll see how it all works out.”
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