Indian Rocks Beach visitors will soon pay to park at the city’s public beach access spots, ending the community’s distinction as the last beachfront municipality in Pinellas County to offer free parking.
The City Commission voted 5-0 on Feb. 10 to approve a six-month pilot program charging $4.50 an hour at more than 180 beach access parking spaces. The program will be managed through the ParkMobile app and is expected to launch within the next two to three months. Enforcement will run from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and fines for violations will increase from $75 to $100. City residents are exempt with special parking decals, and visitors can also park for free near City Hall on weekends.
City officials say revenue from the program will go toward storm-damaged infrastructure and help manage traffic on the two-mile barrier island. The proposal drew significant public opposition after its first reading in January, when more than two dozen residents spoke out against it. By the second and final reading, however, only one person addressed the commission in opposition, and the item passed in roughly four minutes.
Mayor Denise Houseberg, who faces a reelection challenge on March 10, said the city does not want to deter visitors but needs outside help maintaining its beaches and infrastructure in the wake of hurricane damage. City Manager Ryan Henderson, who first proposed the program in December, selected ParkMobile without a competitive bid, citing the company’s broad reach and ease of use.
The end of free parking for non-residents is to help fund roughly $13 million in storm recovery and infrastructure repairs. A six-month “pilot program” now charges $4.50 per hour at the 182 beach access parking spots that were previously free. Payments are managed digitally via the ParkMobile app. Enforcement hours run daily from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. However, residents with a valid city window decal can still park for free.
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