Several significant parking changes could soon be implemented on Wrightsville Beach’s Harbor Island, including 56 new meters in the business district and restrictions on Pelican Drive.
After listening to feedback from residents and business owners during a May 7 public hearing, the board of aldermen agreed on a list of changes, which town staff will compile into an ordinance for the board to approve during a May 28 special meeting.
In the commercial district, coin-operated meters from West Henderson and West Greensboro streets will be relocated to mark the 56 spaces on Old Causeway Drive. Parking will be enforced between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. May 1 through Sept. 15. Boat trailers will be outlawed on both Old Causeway and Pelican drives.
The Harbor Island parking discussion arose as the board saw the need to get ahead of a worsening issue on the island: people parking all day in front of the businesses on Old Causeway Drive without patronizing the shops.
Currently, parking in the Harbor Island commercial district is free, so on warm summer days patrons and store employees compete with beachgoers and boaters for the coveted spots. With Poe’s Tavern opening soon on Old Causeway Drive and a slew of residential developments cropping up on the other side of the drawbridge, Wrightsville Beach Mayor Bill Blair said the problem would continue to escalate.
Riddick Lynch, co-owner of Poe’s Tavern, said he was in favor of paid parking because it would deter beachgoers and boaters from occupying the spaces all day, opening up more room for his patrons.
The other business owners also acknowledged the importance of forcing parking turnover in front of their shops. But, having faced the challenges of doing business on Harbor Island for years, they said they would not be able to survive if the beach strand parking regulations were implemented.
Blair said he was hesitant to make too many exceptions, because creating a unique set of parking rules for the Harbor Island commercial district would not be consistent or fair to businesses in other parts of town that had made similar requests.
Lighthouse Beer and Wine founder Jason Adams pointed out doing business on Harbor Island was fundamentally different than doing business on the beach strand, and should be treated as such.
The Harbor Island businesses do not have walk-up traffic from the beach, he said, or a grocery store to anchor them. He was also concerned charging patrons to park would make it harder to compete with the several major shopping centers just across the drawbridge.
Surfberry founder Rick Civelli voiced similar concerns, emphasizing the difficulty of doing business on Harbor Island.
“I have struggled for the past three years. … We’re just now moving into profitability,” he said. “Eighty-five percent of my business is done between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m..”
Adams and Civelli asked the board to consider allowing one free hour of parking. That would accommodate the patrons who just stop in for a few minutes to pick something up.
Lanier parking manager Bryant Sykes said there are parking meters that are programmed to allow a free hour, but that would require an equipment purchase. And without special meters, the policy would be labor-intensive to enforce.
If a free hour weren’t feasible, Mellow Mushroom co-owner Robert Ray proposed the town only enforce the new meters until 4 p.m., because many of his patrons pick up dinner on their way home from work.
The board agreed to shorten the hours of enforcement, but opted for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to be fair to shops like Causeway Café that do business in the morning.
The board then addressed parking on nearby Pelican Drive. The aldermen were worried adding meters in the commercial district would cause beachgoers seeking free parking to simply migrate over there.
Pelican Drive residents acknowledged that situation would be a safety issue on the narrow road, but they also didn’t want paid parking on their street, so the board decided to make Pelican Drive residential parking only.
Boat trailers will also be outlawed on Pelican Drive and Old Causeway Drive. Alderwoman Lisa Weeks voiced frustration in past meetings that boaters parked their trailers all day in the commercial district, taking up valuable patron parking.
Aldermen, residents and business owners agreed if the board approves the ordinance, it should be reassessed after the summer and adjusted as necessary.
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