Kure Beach to vote on exploring paid parking program

KURE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Parking in Kure Beach is currently free for residents and visitors, but the town is looking into changing that.

On Monday night, town council will vote on approving a parking RFP or request for proposals. This is the first step in hiring a parking management firm and moving to a paid parking program.

Kure Beach is the only New Hanover County beach that offers free parking, which has been an incentive for visitors. However, the possible revenue the town could generate from paid parking is something town leaders want to explore.

“Many houses in Kure Beach are second homes or rental properties. Like other beach communities in the Carolinas, the town’s population balloons during the tourist season to approximately 8,000. As could be expected, the town’s tourism industry is extremely important to its economic base and it is important to consider the parking needs of the community in the height of the tourist season. The town wishes to explore the viability of paid parking throughout Kure Beach.

The town has included of the following requirements in the RFP:

• Parking enforcement under this contract will begin on March 15th and end on September 30th each year.
• Parking Enforcement Hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. All parking in Town spaces is free outside of the aforementioned timeframe.
• The Parking Office Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week. The Town will provide furnished office space and computer access to the management firm.
•  Town property owners can receive a parking pass that will allow unlimited free access to paid parking spaces. The cost of the pass shall be nominal.
• Standard Parking Rates shall be tiered based on beach proximity.

The Kure Beach Town Council will meet at 6 p.m. Monday.

Read the complete RFP here.