Parks board approves Washington Park parking plan with surge pricing, caps and penalty schedule
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Summary
The Michigan City Parks and Recreation Board approved a new Washington Park parking policy establishing zone-based hourly pricing, daily caps (capped below the $40 special-event fee), surge-pricing triggers and a stepped penalty-and-collections process; staff will begin public outreach prior to implementation.
The Michigan City Parks and Recreation Board voted March 4 to adopt a new parking policy for Washington Park that establishes zone-based hourly rates, daily caps and a surge-pricing framework for peak periods.
William Walker, who presented the plan to the board, said the policy sets caps so visitors “don’t pay more than the cap” for a calendar day and that caps apply at all times, not only during surge pricing. He described the structure as a balance between affordability and demand management and said the board’s goal was to avoid letting prices “get too outlandish too early.”
Under the proposal Walker outlined, surge pricing would trigger at about 65% parking capacity and apply on peak days that include Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The plan includes differentiated zones — with Lot 1 near the beach priced highest and “zoo” parking priced lower — and anticipates a continued $40 cap for special-event days.
The board also adopted a violations and collections process. Walker described the schedule: an initial penalty of $40 for nonpayment, $60 between 24 hours and 10 days, and additional steps after 10 days that include a DMV search and potential referral to collections, which could increase fees to roughly $100. He said enforcement would be handled by the third-party enforcement vendor (ParkMobile / Park Loyalty) rather than by park staff.
Public commenters welcomed the plan’s attention to signage and aesthetics. Resident Tommy Klavick urged removing outdated signs and supported placing new signs on existing light poles to reduce visual clutter, and resident Scott Mellon asked for clearer details about surge rates and special-event pricing.
Board members asked staff to post outreach material and host public sessions after the board’s approval. A motion to approve the Washington Park parking policies passed in open session.
The board directed staff to proceed with implementation steps including signage strategy, public outreach and coordination with the contracted enforcement vendor; staff said parking registration for Michigan City residents would not change.
The board’s approval follows workshop conversations about balancing revenue (staff noted parking revenue is a crucial funding source, with staff earlier citing roughly $1.2 million annually) with visitor experience and safety. The policy takes effect following staff outreach and the publication of detailed user guidance.
