Folly council to consider parking pass

The city of Folly Beach will consider offering a year-round parking pass for beach access lots and the Washout, but the details, especially the price, have yet to be determined.

Council member Laura Beck said she started floating the idea of a year-round pass after several people who lived off the island asked about it. Full-time Folly residents can get a decal from City Hall and park at the lots for free.

Visitors must pay $1 per hour to park at the beach access lots and the Washout between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Council voted on the paid parking measure last year, partnering with Palmetto Parking to install pay-to-park boxes and to ticket violators. City Administrator Toni Connor-Rooks said the city expects to get $200,000 each year from parking fees.

Beck said she has received a positive response about a year-round pass and will sponsor an ordinance to establish one. People would be willing to pay $200-$250 for one, Beck said.

However, Mayor Carl Beckmann said year-round parking passes would have to be much more expensive in order to maintain the expected parking revenues. He said, "$250 will not cover a spot and revenue."

Beckmann broke down the maximum cost of one spot: If someone parks in a spot for $8 a day, seven days a week, it nets the city $56 each week, with the potential to bring in $2,912 each year if someone parks all day, every day of the year. A $250 annual parking pass would cause the city to lose revenue, Beckmann said.

Additionally, Beckmann said Palmetto Parking likely would back out of its contract with the city if a parking pass is offered.

"If enough people buy a yearly pass, the parking company will not want to do business with us; there will be no revenue," he said. "If it did get voted in, I envision Palmetto Parking staying in business for another 30 days."

The Charleston County Park and Recreation parking lot at the west end of Folly Beach offers year-round parking passes for $55 a year. Beckmann said the agency gets tax money to help cover costs, and the city does not have that luxury.

Connor-Rooks has been tasked with looking at other nearby beach communities and parking passes those areas offer. She will present council with that information.

"Most of the feedback has been good, as long as it's totally not cost-prohibitive," Beck said. "I haven't had any negative feedback."

Council members discussed offering year-round passes last year when the parking ordinance was approved; they said they would revisit the issue after a year. Beck said she will bring up the idea for the passes in April at a council meeting or work session.

Beckmann remains wary.

"There's a $3,000 potential; if we sell that spot for $250, with revenue loss (it will) change the way things are done," Beckmann said.