Local business group proposes 2-hour on-street parking for four blocks; board discusses enforcement and paid-parking options

A group of downtown business owners led by Ted Barnhill asked the Flagler Beach Planning and Architectural Review Board on March 11 to consider designating on-street parking as two-hour parking on four commercial blocks south of Highway 100, arguing that short-term turnover is needed to keep customers flowing to downtown businesses as new hotels and a pier open.

Barnhill told the board his proposal would be limited — Central Avenue from Highway 100 to Third Street and Second Avenue from Ocean Shore Boulevard to Daytona — and would apply only to on-street parking on those blocks during set daytime hours. He said roughly 13 local businesses in the immediate area support the idea and suggested the change could be low-cost and might even net revenue if paired with enforcement or pay-by-app systems.

Board members and public speakers raised concerns about enforcement, effects on residents and short-term rentals, and whether the city has the manpower to police a time-limit system. One resident asked who would police the rule; others suggested businesses could fund signage or contract parking enforcement. Jackie Buckingham, owner of Blackwood Tea Company on South Central, said customers frequently cannot find short-term parking and that turning over spaces would boost local commerce.

The board discussed alternatives and related topics raised by staff and commenters: paid parking (previously studied by the city), employee-only parking lots to move staff vehicles off public spaces, and use of modern pay-by-plate or app-based systems that reduce equipment maintenance and enforcement costs. Several speakers said paid parking had been considered before but that new technologies and license-plate enforcement make it more feasible now.

No formal motion or vote was taken; the board treated the item as a discussion topic and recommended the idea be referred to strategic planning and to the City Commission for further study. Several board members suggested the business community could pilot signage or cover sign costs to test a limited two-hour zone. Staff said the commission has discussed paid parking in prior meetings and that paid parking is being reconsidered in that broader context.

If pursued, the board and public said the plan would need resident exemptions for nearby full-time residents, a clear enforcement mechanism, and a specific schedule of hours. Barnhill said his apartment holdings would not be adversely affected and that he had available off-street parking for tenants; others raised concerns about a condo-hotel and apartments in the study area that could be affected depending on implementation.

The board’s discussion closed with members agreeing the proposal merits further study; staff or a board representative will pass the concept to the commission and strategic-planning discussions.