NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. — Neptune Beach City Council voted to lower parking rates at the Beaches Town Center after hearing community concerns in response to the city’s decision to raise rates to $5 per hour during the evenings.
City council voted to lower the rate to $2.50 per hour from 11:00 AM to midnight, for now. The city also instituted a $32.50 cap for how much, per day, you can pay for parking. Action News Jax told you last month that the city had originally set its new rates at $2.50 per hour during the day and $5 per hour after 5:00 PM. The city said the initial parking rate had been $2 per hour.
City council members said the higher parking rates had been decided, in part, to help raise money toward keeping the town center clean, well-decorated, and well-maintained. City council claimed that it did not hear many complaints when first working to make the change to $5 per hour during the evenings.
But some town center employees have argued that the higher parking prices were causing their paychecks to suffer. We reported last month when one town center worker started a petition asking the city for a free employee parking lot in response to the higher parking rates. City council members are now promising to create more affordable parking options for employees.
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“It’s essentially being charged to go to work, and I don’t really think that’s fair,” said Paul Brophy, a town center employee whose business asked not to be named.
Brophy is one of the multiple town center workers Action News Jax has spoken with who argues that the higher parking rates are taking too much from their checks.
“It’s a hit to the pockets, it’s ruined staff morale, and it’s a huge hindrance to foot traffic in the area,” Brophy said.
City council members brought up a few possible ways to create better employee options, including:
- Employee parking passes to allow workers to park for a lower rate
- Rent spaces from nearby businesses whose lots sit empty in the evenings
- Possible JTA rideshare service, “Ready Ride,” to provide low-cost rides to work from employees’ homes
Neptune Beach Mayor Cori Bylund said parking rates may have to go up again later this year, depending on the data the city receives from people parking at the town center. She also said finding solutions for employees may take time, and will need more discussions amongst city council members.
“The more time we have, the more data we have, and we’ll be able to make better solutions,” said Mayor Bylund.
The city already provides up to four hours of free parking in the town center for anyone living in Atlantic or Neptune Beach who is registered for resident parking, which can be found here.
The city said there is also parking available in the old K-Mart lot on Atlantic Boulevard for $10.50 per day, along with some free spaces at the intersection of Lemon Street and Penman Road. City council members didn’t share a particular timeline for when town center employees could expect other solutions, but the next city council workshop is scheduled for January 20th at 6:00 PM.
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