Last modified 6/16/2008 - 10:05 pm
Originally created 061808
  
A Town Center crush has officials considering options.

By DREW DIXON, Shorelines

NEPTUNE BEACH - Huge crowds flocking to the beach and increasing use of the Town Center has City Council members saying they're determined to charge for parking at the business hub.

During a workshop Monday, council members said fees will eventually have to be charged for parking in the lots surrounding Town Center due to soaring demand.

"We need to do something," said Councilman John Weldon. "We have to realize that this area has to be managed parking-wise and we have to take action to do that. We can't just wait for it to turn into a disaster."

Neptune Beach Police Chief David Sembach said last week the Town Center parking lots are overflowing with beachgoers. Many who park their vehicles for hours to go to the beach don't use the surrounding businesses, many of which have complained to the city, Sembach said.

In addition to beachgoers, City Manager Jim Jarboe said employees working on hotel renovations at Ocean One are also using the lots at Town Center, depleting parking availability.

Jarboe said he's already looking into possible options to control parking in the popular commerce center. He's reviewed possible parking signs limiting the amount of time someone can use a space. He's also looked into parking meters and the possibility of installing a kiosk where motorists can purchase a ticket and place it in their cars at corresponding spaces.

While council members are eager to address parking control, they directed Jarboe to begin discussions with the city of Atlantic Beach, which manages Town Center on the north side of Atlantic Boulevard.

"Whatever we decide to do, we need a uniform agreement with Atlantic Beach," said City Councilman Fred Lee. "It's not getting any better."

Jarboe said he will contact Atlantic Beach City Manager Jim Hanson to review possible options and will return to the Neptune Beach City Council with recommendations at their next workshop July 21.

Councilwoman Harriet Pruette said the parking demand is becoming urgent.

"There's so many people now coming to the beach and they really don't have any place to park to go to the beach," Pruette said.

While the crush on parking at Town Center is extreme, Councilman Eric Pardee said if beachgoers are forced out of that parking area, they'll only go elsewhere in the city.

"A lot of these parking spaces ... limiting them to two hours, a lot of people won't be going to the beach. But they'll be parking down on Cherry Street and Margaret Street and all these other streets to go to the beach now so you're adding extra traffic down there," Pardee said.

But Lee said Town Center parking has been a bane for the city for years. He added it will have to be addressed, as unpleasant as it may be for elected officials.

"Whatever the city decides to do on this, it's going to be unpopular for a percentage of the people," Lee said. "Everyone on this council's going to have to decide if they're going to take a hit on it. If they're not, then let's forget it."

Weldon said he's prepared to move forward.

"We can't sit with our heads in the sand much longer about this. This area's grown and there's a great deal of development pressure," Weldon said. "The beach is going to see increased pressure."

Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313