Sea Bright ends free beachfront parking

Business owners had objected to paid parking but borough officials say they think they worked out a compromise

SEA BRIGHT -- It just got more expensive to shop, eat or go to the beach in downtown Sea Bright.

In a town where parking has always been at a premium and beach access an issue, visitors using the municipal lots downtown in the borough will have to pay starting today.

Over the objections of business owners, the borough council passed an ordinance establishing pay-to-park in Sea Bright, which until Friday had had free parking.

"Sea Bright was hard hit in the aftermath of (Hurricane) Sandy," he said. "It's a way to help rebuild some of the facilities destroyed in the storm.  It's also a way to provide turnover for businesses."

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After some business owners threatened to sue to block the implementation of the paid parking, borough officials worked out a compromise that for now quelled the legal action, said acting borough administrator Joseph Verruni.

Sea Bright, just south of Sandy Hook, has 3 miles of coastline but nearly two-thirds of it is difficult to access because of the lack of parking primarily in the northern stretch of town. In 2005, the state sued Sea Bright and the private beach clubs there to force more public access and although the clubs are now providing more public access, it's been of minimal help to the public because of the parking situation, access advocates have said.

Nearly four years out from Hurricane Sandy, Sea Bright is still rebuilding. It has yet build a new library and a firehouse, both of which were inundated by flooding during the storm.

Business owners had complained that the fees would discourage customers from coming to the downtown or would cut their stays short. And they argued paid parking would be an unnecessary financial burden on them and their employees.

In an attempt to appease the business owners, the borough agreed to designate some areas that allow for free 30-minute parking. And to ensure that not all the spaces would be gobbled up by beachgoers, there are also spaces that allow for a maximum of one-hour parking, but visitors will still have to pay $1.

Also, part of the lots will be designated for employees of the downtown businesses for free parking as long as they display a valid sticker on their vehicle, Verruni said.

"That was a big concern. I think we were able to work it out," Verruni said. "I'm not saying they're enamored with it."

Borough officials estimate the parking fees will generate between $80,000 and $90,000 annually, based on a conservative estimate of 25-percent occupancy of the spaces over the summer, Verruni said.

The money will be used to help the borough pay for construction of new lockers, bathrooms and changing areas at the beach, he said.

The measure affects more than 600 parking spaces regulated by the borough in five separate lots, he said. That includes the Anchorage Beach lot farther north of the downtown, a spot extremely popular with surfers. The town last year started charging beach fees there, which also angered surfers.

Those using the lots will be charged $1 an hour between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. in a fee schedule that is in effect between the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, he said.

For those who can manage to get one, parking is still free at the spots on the street.

Visitors will be able to use cash or credit cards at the kiosks and can load an app onto their mobile device that allows them to pay or increase the amount of time on their space without having to go back to the kiosk.

The mobile app, Verruni said, is also compatible with the parking systems in neighboring towns such as Long Branch and Asbury Park.