Newport is considering a proposal to expand its paid parking plan to a second neighborhood: Nye Beach.
During tourist season, Newport’s most popular areas–the Bayfront and Nye Beach–are congested. Last year, the city started charging Bayfront visitors for parking.
Newport Community Development Director Derrick Tokos said the program has been successful, and the city is considering a scaled- down version for Nye Beach.
"It changed parking behaviors,” Tokos said. “Those that worked down there year round adjusted where they parked based on the program we set out, which freed up some parking spaces. And from what we can tell, we did get better turnover."
Tokos said the revenue generated from Bayfront parking has been used to maintain its parking infrastructure and enforce its parking rules in free areas.
He said future Nye Beach parking revenue could be used on making the Newport Visual Arts Center parking lot ADA accessible.
The area under consideration for paid parking in Nye Beach is much smaller than the Bayfront. City officials plan to only convert an area called the Turnaround, which is beside Nye Beach near the seawall.
The plan to expand paid parking has drawn mixed reactions from residents and business owners.
Tom Ettel, the president of the Nye Neighborhood Association, said his group is neutral for now on the parking plan, but he has informally surveyed many business owners.
Ettel said some in the neighborhood do want more enforcement, and believe requiring people to pay for parking will make it easier for their customers to find a spot.
He said other business owners he’s talked to fear paid parking will deter people from visiting, and want to explore other options like better enforcement of the city’s existing three hour time limit on free parking.
“The question is, is that the best way to solve the problem?” he said.
Veronica Lundell, a long-time shop owner in the neighborhood, said the needs in Nye Beach, an arts-focused neighborhood, are different from the Bayfront, which has both commercial fishing and more tourism focused businesses.
She said it can be hard to find a spot in the summer, but she fears charging for parking might make the area less welcoming.
"My personal feeling is that continuing to provide access to a public beach is a goodwill act on the part of Newport,” she said. “I would like to see it maintained as is."
The city is gathering feedback on the proposal, making its leaders available for questions at a recent town hall, and discussing ideas at monthly parking advisory meetings.
If the plan goes forward, visitors would pay for parking at a kiosk. Residents and business owners could buy a parking pass that would allow them to leave their vehicles in a free zone longer than three hours.
If the city council approves the final version of the proposal, it could go into effect this summer.
