Against Parking Fees

As a council member for the city of Carlsbad, I would like to express my opposition to the proposal to impose parking fees on Carlsbad State Beach. This beach is one of Carlsbad’s greatest assets, and residents as well as tourists deserve to enjoy it without charge.

California’s beaches are a great attraction for tourists all over the world, who come year-round to savor the sun, sand and fun of the Pacific Ocean. But more importantly, many residents admire the beach daily , including swimmers, seawall walkers, surfers and beachcombers. These residents only visit the beach for a short period and should not be required to pay a parking fee each time.

The city of Carlsbad has made every effort to provide parking near our beach. These fees will only serve to counteract that effort. In fact, the imposition of fees will have a negative effect on the surrounding neighborhoods, particularly on weekends and holidays. Beach-goers will try to avoid the Tamarack Avenue lot by parking on surface streets, in private commercial and business parking lots and in residential neighborhoods.

I feel that Carlsbad deserves special attention, particularly since we have assumed responsibility for maintaining the bluff-top walkway, owned by the state. In addition to relieving the state of this ongoing burden, the city has made a substantial financial commitment to improve state-owned property adjacent to Tamarack Beach. This should go a long way toward offsetting the funds that could be generated from the parking lot.

The overall effect of a beach parking fee will be to preclude beach access for those who use it the most--the residents of Carlsbad. Parking at Carlsbad State Beach should remain free of charge to everyone, so as not to restrict the enjoyment of our unique shoreline.

ERIC LARSON, Carlsbad