PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County’s proposal to charge for parking at all county beaches is drawing growing backlash from residents who say access to the shoreline should remain free.
WATCH BELOW: 'This policy really directly impacts me,' Juno Beach resident and veteran Billy Felmer tells WPTV's Joel Lopez
Right now, county leaders are considering charging at least $4 an hour to park at 12 beaches where parking is currently free, including Juno Beach.
It's the focus of an online Change.org petition titled “ELIMINATE PARKING FEES AT JUNO AND JUPITER BEACHES” that is quickly gaining traction.
“Keep it free,” said Juno Beach parkgoer Mike Loper. “So people can enjoy the beach who don't have the financial ability to pay.”
At last check, the petition had already collected more than 1,700 signatures.
Part of the petition reads:
“Taxpayers in Jupiter and Juno beach have always been champions of their local environment, and we take pride in our collective ownership of these public places. Imposing parking fees would only serve to penalize the very people who cherish and protect these natural havens.”
Beachgoers spending the day in Juno Beach echoed that frustration.
“Keep it free man,” said James Jolly, who said he plans to sign the petition.
WPTV has been getting answers from County officials who say the money would help pay for maintenance costs and county programs like swim lessons during what’s expected to be a tight budget year.
The proposed fees could generate more than $7.5 million for Palm Beach County as officials navigate concerns over millage rates and possible property tax impacts.
The proposed rate mirrors what’s already in place at R.G. Kreusler Park, just north of the Lake Worth Beach Casino, and South Inlet Park in Boca Raton, where visitors already pay $4 an hour for parking.
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Some visitors say the fee is reasonable.
“I like the area, it's nice and calm, (paying for parking) it's worth it. Obviously the money goes to keeping up the place,” said Dario Matrundola, who was visiting Kreusler Park from Canada. “It's a small price to pay for using the beach. You can ride your bike here, I ride my bike a lot of times to the beach then you don't have to pay for parking.”
But others worry the change could make beach access harder for working families, seniors and veterans who rely on the beach as part of their daily lives.
Juno Beach resident and veteran Billy Felmer reached out to WPTV after learning about the proposal online.
Felmer served in Iraq and Afghanistan and suffered a broken back and traumatic brain injury while serving in Afghanistan on July 4, 2010.
In an email to WPTV, Felmer wrote the following:
"This story is about much more than parking fees. It is about how public spaces can play a meaningful role in the lives of veterans, seniors, families, and others who depend on them for their physical and mental well-being. For me personally, these beaches have become part of my healing process, and I worry that increasing the cost of accessing them will make that routine more difficult, not only for me but for many others in our community."
Felmer said daily trips to the beach with his service dog, Stryker, have become a key part of managing PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
“So, this policy really directly impacts me,” Felmer said. “I'm dealing with post traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. It's been probably the most effective thing in helping me treat my PTSD and TBI.”
“I go every single day, it's good for him and it's good for me,” he added. “It does deeply affect me, but it affects everybody. It's about the family that is a working-class family that wants to take their kids to the beach and probably can't afford that outrageous price.”
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Felmer also worries the proposed fee is only the beginning and could increase over the years, even if it's only for out of towners at first.
“Four dollars an hour that's going to effectively price me out of the beach,” he said. “It's one of the best assets to our community, and now they're going to try and price us out of it? It's just wrong.”
County officials say they are considering a 20% discount for residents and possibly an annual beach parking pass.
“Keep it free for locals, make the out-of-town people pay,” Jolly said.
For now, the proposal is not final. The parking fees are part of Palm Beach County’s broader budget process and will ultimately be voted on by county commissioners in September.
Read more of WPTV's coverage below:
Palm Beach County
Parking fees may be coming to all Palm Beach County beaches
Palm Beach County
'It's worth it': Here's where beach parking dollars are going
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