VIRGINIA BEACH — If you live in Virginia Beach, you pay the same amount to park in the resort area before 5 p.m. as a tourist.
That could soon change.
The City Council is considering options to give Virginia Beach residents a break on parking costs to make locals feel more welcome and to encourage them to come to the Oceanfront. But the council will also be tasked with deciding how to make up the lost revenue.
“We want to help the Oceanfront attract our citizens from other parts of the city,” said Councilman Worth Remick, who represents the north end of the resort area. “It’s good for business; it’s good for the resort; it’s good for the city.”
Raising the parking rate for nonresidents or taxing resort area property owners were among options mulled by the council following a briefing on parking costs at a meeting Tuesday. Public and private parking options are available at the Oceanfront. Virginia Beach residents can park at a discounted rate of $3 after 5 p.m. in city garages and lots.
“That doesn’t really help people that might want to come down in the daytime,” Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson said at the meeting. During the election season last fall, Wilson, who represents the south end of the resort area, campaigned on free parking for residents.
“I believe you should be able to park all day long for free,” Wilson said in a campaign video. “In Virginia Beach, it’s your beach; it’s our beach; and locals matter.”
But on Tuesday, she pitched the idea of charging residents a flat rate of $5 a day.
“It would be more than the $3, but it would encourage people to come down in the daytime,” she said.
Parking is an enterprise fund in Virginia Beach, meaning its operations are supported by the revenue it generates, not the general fund. The average parking revenue from the past two fiscal years was $6.26 million. The average operating expenses over the same time period were $5.48 million, not including capital maintenance of the garages, which costs roughly $440,000 annually, according to the city.
L.J. Hansen, director of public works, told the City Council that residents taking advantage of a discount will take up spaces that paying customers would use and that more parking will be needed.
Councilman Stacy Cummings suggested creating a special service district in the resort area, where property owners would pay an extra tax to support parking. Remick agreed a taxing option should be considered.
Three municipal parking garages — at 9th, 24th and 31st streets — are available with more than 1,670 spaces available for public use. The garages are open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Daily rates are $2 per hour for a max of $20.
City Manager Patrick Duhaney said a parking garage rate increase for nonresidents could offset a discount for locals. He plans to bring several options back to the council soon.
The city also operates three municipal parking lots at Rudee Loop, 2nd Street and 4th Street, which have more than 300 spaces. Paid parking is seasonal from April 1 to Oct. 31. It costs $2 per hour.
Free parking on Atlantic Avenue is available from Nov. 1 through March 31. The current plan for upcoming improvements to Atlantic Avenue does not include street parking, but business and community members of the Atlantic Avenue Association want to keep the spots and add meters.
Most of the 680 parking meters on the resort area streets are operational from April 1 to Oct. 31. Rates are $2 per hour. In 2024, the fees for meters generated $1.6 million, or $ 2,400 per spot annually.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
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