Staff photo by Allison Potter
Richard Fitzgerald, left, and Ken Ogle install the battery in a parking machine at Public Beach Access No. 2 on Wednesday, Feb. 27.
The end of February marks the beginning of parking season for the town of Wrightsville Beach and on Friday, March 1 both individual meters and pay stations will go live through Oct. 31.
Parking will be enforced from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the rate of $2 per hour. Wrightsville Beach residents may purchase two seasonal passes for $25 each, valid for free parking in metered on-street parking spots, not in pay station lots.
New this year is the addition of individual on-street meters from Sunset Avenue to Iula Street that accept both credit cards and coins. Each new meter cost the town $535 and the total capital cost for the exchange was $24,000.
The Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen voted to add the new meters at its annual Lanier Parking workshop on Jan. 17. The old meter heads will be retired for spare repair parts.
Also new this year is an amendment to the Harbor Island Parking District restrictions. Driven by resident complaints, the board voted during its Feb. 14 meeting to allow vehicles with hurricane re-entry decals to park on streets within the district and to limit the enforcement period from May 1 through Sept. 15. Residents living within the Harbor Island Parking District that require more on-street parking for guests when having an event are required to contact the Lanier Parking office for a special events parking exemption.
For more parking information, visit the town’s website at www.townofwrightsvillebeach.com or to contact the Lanier Parking office, phone 910-256-5453.
email cole@luminanews.com
