The city council is expected to vote this week on a recommendation to charge for single-stall parking at the Morro Bay launch ramp facility.
If given final approval, the fee for a single vehicle space for 24 hours would be $5 while a trailer space would be $12.
Annual permit options are on the table for both, but a proposal going before council members would slash annual single-space fees from $175 to $83. The annual trailer space fee would be $200.
The money from the fees would be used as additional revenue for the Harbor Fund.
“Things like the launch ramp that I’m standing on right now that’s in dire need of repairs. We’ve got a big parking lot behind us that’s gonna cost probably over $100,000 to reseal," said Chris Munson, Morro Bay Harbor Vitality Director. "So, those types of things is what the funds will be used for.”
Munson said that paid parking for this lot has been on the fee schedule for a while now, but implementation was postponed until March 1, allowing for additional feedback.
Many residents have said that they're not eager to have to pay to park.
“If you start enforcing people to pay just to drive out here and look at the ocean," said Richie Zaitz, a Morro Bay local. "That’s gonna be bad for tourism.”
“I don’t like it, and I would not pay. I would find another place to go,” said Morro Bay resident Mary Petersen.
Munson said that people who live on their boats near the ramp would be able to use the area free of charge.
“Our live-aboard vessel patrons and also our commercial patrons who have docks out here because they already pay extra fees associated with being in a slip and also on a live-aboard permit," Munson said.
The city is looking to establish an electronic way to pay using your phone. Munson said this is being rolled out because they were having problems with the paper permits not being visible on some vehicles.
“Harbor Patrol officers or police officers can go around and manually enter the license plates into an app and after they get to about three characters, it will show that license plate," he said.
The recommendations will be discussed at the Jan. 27 city council meeting.
