DT
Baitwaster posted this under the free access board. But since it has to do with the Cape Fear area I borrowed it for the Fandango. When dollars can be made like this, free access is coming to an end.
North end Carolina Beach
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From a strand of sand comes a lot of dough
Carolina Beach fees for four-wheel-drives reel in more money than town expected
By Sherry Jones
Staff Writer
sherry.jones@starnewsonline.com
Charging people to drive on the north end of Carolina Beach is generating a lot more cash than town officials expected.
As a result, the town plans to add more bathrooms and trash cans at Freeman Park, and discussion of other possible changes continues. For instance, regulations regarding camping may be coming, and more police patrols are possible.
In March, the town began charging $10 a day or $40 for an annual permit for four-wheel drive access.
Town Manager Calvin Peck initially estimated the fees would generate about $40,000 this year, but he stressed that it was just a guess. So far, the fee and citations have brought in more than $232,000 – with about $53,000 of that collected from May 23 to June 1. During Memorial Day weekend, more than 8,000 people drove onto the north end.
The north end has been a popular spot for thousands of people who turn out on summer weekends to fish, camp and hang out. The management plan is intended to protect the environment and public interest while allowing 24-hour access to the beach.
Town Spokeswoman Valita Quattlebaum said the amount of revenue came as a surprise, so the Town Council hasn’t decided what to do with the extra money.
But restroom facilities at the entrance to the park have been so popular that the town is planning to add 12 more bathrooms – six about halfway along the one-mile stretch of beach and six at the northern section. Adding more bathrooms, Mrs. Quattlebaum said, is mainly about convenience.
“If you’re a mile away, it’s a haul to come back to the entrance,” she said.
More trash cans will also be available. Visitors have been good about using them, Mrs. Quattlebaum said, and the town wants to keep the area clean.
In addition to the fee for driving on the beach, the management plan also provided for more police officers to patrol the area. Right now, the town has two officers dedicated to the north end but it’s possible more would be added, Mrs. Quattlebaum said.
The Freeman Park Ad-hoc Committee, a town-appointed group of residents evaluating rules for the area, is talking about how to handle campfires. There have been complaints about fires near the entrance because smoke sometimes blows toward nearby homes. While fires are still allowed on the beach, Mrs. Quattlebaum said police officers might ask people to move if smoke appears to be a problem.
What to do about dogs on the beach is another consideration for the committee. Current regulations don’t require leashes, but there have been complaints about animals running free, Mrs. Quattlebaum said.
Jason Sutton, with Central Parking, the company that collects the fees and operates the pay station at the park entrance, said response has been positive.
“Everything seems to be working as planned,” he said. “It’s been a lot of work because we’ve had a lot of traffic. But we’ve had very few complaints, and the compliments really out number the complaints.”
Mrs. Quattlebaum agreed but noted that the town has heard from a lot of visitors who want more changes at the north end. She stressed that other changes are on the horizon but the town couldn’t do everything at once.
“The town has only managed the park for six months,” she said. “It’s a work in progress. People need to be patient, and we’re going to try to make it comfortable. We want to address their concerns.”
North end Carolina Beach
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From a strand of sand comes a lot of dough
Carolina Beach fees for four-wheel-drives reel in more money than town expected
By Sherry Jones
Staff Writer
sherry.jones@starnewsonline.com
Charging people to drive on the north end of Carolina Beach is generating a lot more cash than town officials expected.
As a result, the town plans to add more bathrooms and trash cans at Freeman Park, and discussion of other possible changes continues. For instance, regulations regarding camping may be coming, and more police patrols are possible.
In March, the town began charging $10 a day or $40 for an annual permit for four-wheel drive access.
Town Manager Calvin Peck initially estimated the fees would generate about $40,000 this year, but he stressed that it was just a guess. So far, the fee and citations have brought in more than $232,000 – with about $53,000 of that collected from May 23 to June 1. During Memorial Day weekend, more than 8,000 people drove onto the north end.
The north end has been a popular spot for thousands of people who turn out on summer weekends to fish, camp and hang out. The management plan is intended to protect the environment and public interest while allowing 24-hour access to the beach.
Town Spokeswoman Valita Quattlebaum said the amount of revenue came as a surprise, so the Town Council hasn’t decided what to do with the extra money.
But restroom facilities at the entrance to the park have been so popular that the town is planning to add 12 more bathrooms – six about halfway along the one-mile stretch of beach and six at the northern section. Adding more bathrooms, Mrs. Quattlebaum said, is mainly about convenience.
“If you’re a mile away, it’s a haul to come back to the entrance,” she said.
More trash cans will also be available. Visitors have been good about using them, Mrs. Quattlebaum said, and the town wants to keep the area clean.
In addition to the fee for driving on the beach, the management plan also provided for more police officers to patrol the area. Right now, the town has two officers dedicated to the north end but it’s possible more would be added, Mrs. Quattlebaum said.
The Freeman Park Ad-hoc Committee, a town-appointed group of residents evaluating rules for the area, is talking about how to handle campfires. There have been complaints about fires near the entrance because smoke sometimes blows toward nearby homes. While fires are still allowed on the beach, Mrs. Quattlebaum said police officers might ask people to move if smoke appears to be a problem.
What to do about dogs on the beach is another consideration for the committee. Current regulations don’t require leashes, but there have been complaints about animals running free, Mrs. Quattlebaum said.
Jason Sutton, with Central Parking, the company that collects the fees and operates the pay station at the park entrance, said response has been positive.
“Everything seems to be working as planned,” he said. “It’s been a lot of work because we’ve had a lot of traffic. But we’ve had very few complaints, and the compliments really out number the complaints.”
Mrs. Quattlebaum agreed but noted that the town has heard from a lot of visitors who want more changes at the north end. She stressed that other changes are on the horizon but the town couldn’t do everything at once.
“The town has only managed the park for six months,” she said. “It’s a work in progress. People need to be patient, and we’re going to try to make it comfortable. We want to address their concerns.”