Oak Island Town Council discusses implementing paid parking

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY)–   Oak Island is one of the last Brunswick County beaches that does not charge beachgoers to park, but that could soon change. The town is considering all the pros and cons of charging for parking.  

   On top of providing revenue for the town, they’ll be considering whether it will enhance public safety, preserve property rights, and help them develop a comprehensive plan for traffic.  

 Mike Emory, Oak Island Communications Manager says, 

“It has just been placed on the agenda as an item for the council to basically start the discussion on the topic, I think that is more or less the objective.”   

Although a decision is not expected to be made during Tuesday night’s meeting, some are not thrilled about the possibility of paid parking.   

 “I don’t believe it’s needed. I believe it’ll have a negative shift, but you know.” says a local Oak Island beach goer 

 Some think paid parking will send visitors to the beaches that still have free parking. 

Some of the people we spoke with say that if Oak Island eventually does decide to implement paid parking, they hope the money will be used to add lifeguards on the beach, something residents say is very needed, since there have been several drownings in recent weeks.