NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. — If you’re headed to the Beaches Town Center, you can expect to see new, higher fees for parking.
The North Beaches Parking Program, which is managed by the City of Neptune Beach Police Department, recently transitioned to a new parking vendor system.
It’s a change that is costing non-residents $5 an hour to park, compared to $1.35 for one hour under the old system.
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Annie Antar said her wallet took a hit from new parking fees.
“Me and a friend came out to Pete’s, and we got here around 7, and I ended up spending $50 on parking almost,” Antar said. “I probably won’t do that again anytime soon.”
The Beaches Town Center Merchants Association President Deanne Dunlop said the increase is not sustainable for the 65 businesses in the area.
“They are just concerned,” Dunlop said. “It’s a jump. It’s a hike, and it’s higher than a lot of areas around us.”
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Dunlop said she’s had conversations with the Mayors of both Neptune and Atlantic Beaches about the prices.
“Basically, we gave them some ideas of different tiers, just some other ways to make it make sense,” Dunlop said.
While residents do get free parking for 4 hours, Dunlop said they are not the primary purchasers in the area.
“It’s a mixed retail community, and it really needs to address different clients,” Dunlop said.
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The Mayor of Atlantic Beach told Action News Jax they are looking at moving toward a two-tier hourly rate with a reduced charge before 5:00 p.m. and the higher rate from 5:00 p.m. to midnight.
An announcement is expected to be made on Tuesday.
As of now, the parking fees are enforced every day from 11 a.m. until midnight.
If you don’t pay, you could face a $60 fine.
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