BETHANY BEACH, Del. - As Bethany Beach's paid parking season approaches, officials are considering additional changes that could raise costs for some beachgoers.
During a Jan. 15 budget and finance committee meeting, town officials reported an 8.2% decrease in the number of parking hours purchased. The decline comes after the town raised its hourly parking meter rate last year to $4 per hour.
Committee members discussed recommendations that include eliminating the free beach permit previously offered to property owners and increasing the cost of beach permits overall.
Town officials said the goal is to reduce the number of beach permits issued and encourage more daily parkers to use town lots. They said the shift could help increase overall parking revenue.
Bob Lawless, a frequent visitor to Bethany Beach, said he is not surprised that prices may rise again.
“Yeah, everything’s getting more expensive everywhere,” Lawless said. “I don’t know when prices have ever come down.”
The finance committee is expected to further review the recommendations at its next meeting scheduled for Feb. 19 at 10 a.m.