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Sunset Beach awards $535,000 Main Street parking contract, approves budget amendment amid business concerns
Summary
Council voted to award a $535,000 Main Street right-of-way parking contract to Graham Construction and approved a budget amendment tapping assigned parking-fee fund balance; local business owners and residents raised concerns about reduced foot traffic, signage and whether paid parking season or rates should be adjusted.
The Town of Sunset Beach council on Aug. 4 approved awarding the Main Street right-of-way parking contract to Graham Construction Incorporated for $535,000 and passed a budget amendment to appropriate assigned parking revenues to the project.
Town Administrator Lisa Anglin presented the engineer’s bid tabulation showing four bids and recommended Graham Construction at $535,000. Finance staff told the council that parking program fees produced an assigned fund balance of about $158,000 through June 30; the staff said the current plan is to appropriate fund balance for part of the construction cost and replenish it over the next fiscal year through parking revenues.
Business owner John Hopgood, owner of Sunset Beach Trading Company, urged the council to reconsider expanding parking until existing signage and policy issues are fixed. Hopgood said his monitoring of street parking from June 1 through Aug. 1 found streetscape parking was full only seven days and that paid parking has discouraged spontaneous foot traffic: “We lose that beach goer who might pop in for a towel or a soda,” he said.
Council members asked staff about cost-recovery timing and sequencing with other town projects; finance staff said most remaining costs would be replaced through future parking fees and that some reimbursements could occur across fiscal years. Staff also described work sequencing to limit disruption—allowing limited openings of parking spaces as construction advances.
A motion to award the Main Street parking project to Graham Construction at $535,000 was moved, seconded and approved unanimously. Council then moved and approved a budget amendment to appropriate the assigned parking-fee fund balance for construction costs.
What this means for residents and businesses Construction would begin after the contract award and, if notice to proceed is issued as planned, a September start with a December completion was discussed. Council acknowledged community concerns and said signage, public communication and ongoing tweaks to the program would continue as construction and enforcement proceed.
