A proposal by the California department of state parks is going before the Coastal Commission next week that would allow the state to charge $8 a day to park at Tamarack beach in Carlsbad this summer. Photo by Jamie Scott Lytle, staff photographer Sell
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CARLSBAD: Free beachfront parking may end
Coastal Commission to consider fees at state facilities
By BARBARA HENRY - Staff Writer | ∞
A proposal by the California department of state parks is going before the Coastal Commission next week that would allow the state to charge $8 a day to park at Tamarack beach in Carlsbad this summer. Photo by Jamie Scott Lytle, staff photographer 
CARLSBAD ---- Reposing at the southern end of a paved coastal walkway near a vast stretch of inviting sand, Tamarack State Beach's free parking lot pulls in everyone from sunset-watching couples to office workers on exercise breaks.
On weekdays, some people stay only long enough to go for a quick jog, then head back to their vehicles and drive away. But such rapid turnover of cars in the 120-space parking lot could soon stop.
The state Coastal Commission is scheduled to vote Thursday on a proposal to start charging an $8 fee to use the lot, which is at the western end of Tamarack Avenue.
The fee will be the same whether a vehicle remains there all day or leaves after an hour.
Told of the proposal last week by a reporter, a series of lunchtime walkers and joggers seemed stunned. Several said it was a "terrible" idea, adding that they wouldn't pay the $8.
"Not for that, I wouldn't," said Oceanside resident Spencer Longmire, 22, who comes to walk the beachfront with his friend, Caitlin Kunkle of Vista, two to three times a week.
California State Parks officials who manage the Tamarack beach area say people can blame the fee on the state's budget deficit, which was recently projected to reach $20 billion next year if lawmakers don't act.
"How much money can you bring in? And how much money can you cut? (Those) have been the two big questions we've been asked over the last three months," said Brian Ketterer, superintendent of the state's parklands in northern coastal San Diego County.
Charging for parking at Tamarack is forecast to generate $200,000 a year for the state, he added.
A special arrangement
Officials with the parks system say people are lucky that the place has been free this long. Most state beach areas already charge for parking.
Tamarack slipped through the cracks for years because of an unusual arrangement that the state had with Carlsbad, Ketterer said.
Back in the 1990s, state parks officials got permission from the Coastal Commission ---- the governmental body that handles coastal development issues ---- to install a fee collection machine at Tamarack.
Then, the city stepped forward, saying it would pay the state on an annual basis to keep the lot free, and the machine was never installed, Ketterer said.
Memories are hazy on how much the city paid, or how long it did so.
Carlsbad records indicate that it paid $36,000 a year, but hasn't done so for at least decade, said Public Works Director Glenn Pruim.
State officials think the figure may have been about $42,000, Ketterer said.
Everyone agrees that it's been years since the state sent the city an invoice. It stopped after the state's short-term permit for the installation of the fee collection machine expired, Ketterer said.
A higher price tag
City officials say they want to reinstate their annual payment in order to keep the parking lot free.
In fact, the City Council wishes that state parks officials had approached the city before seeking Coastal Commission approval for the new parking fee proposal, Pruim said.
"We understand the state's budget situation, but we'd like to think we can work cooperatively to keep the parking here free," he added.
Ketterer said state parks officials are willing to consider an annual payment offer from Carlsbad once it has permission from the Coastal Commission to start charging the parking fees. Having the commission's permission, "doesn't mean we actually have to install the machines," he said.
However, this time around, the city's contribution must be much higher than the figure it paid years ago ---- the state wants something like $200,000, he said.
If the city and the state cannot work out an arrangement, the automated fee collection system will be in place perhaps by mid-summer, Ketterer said. The machine will allow people to drive in, grab a spot and then pay their parking fee with credit cards or cash, he said.
Frequent beachgoers who want to save a little money should consider an annual day-use parking pass, he added. That costs $125 a year, and is good for admission at 125 state parks that charge a day-use parking fee.
Contact staff writer Barbara Henry at (760) 901-4072 or bhenry@nctimes.com.
Tamarack State Beach Proposal
Discussion/Vote: California Coastal Commission's second day of meetings on Thursday. Meeting starts at 8 a.m. and the item is scheduled early in the agenda.
Meeting Location: Marina del Rey Hotel, 13534 Bali Way, Marina del Rey.
To send comments: People can fax letters to (619) 767-2384 or e-mail tross@coastal.ca.gov.
Toomany transplants wrote on May 3, 2008 7:26 PM:Please don't get like the East Coast! You have to pay to walk on a pier, you have to pay to walk on a beach , you have to have a decal on your car to show you live in a town if you want to use that towns park, and you have to pay a toll to cross a bridge and you have to pay a toll to drive on a road! I love California because it is so free-we even call our roads freeways. We are not like the Easterners where they pay for everything and don't know the difference. Please Don't copy them!
Roger wrote on May 3, 2008 8:00 PM:An $8 per visit fee is too much and will make visiting the beach prohibitively expensive for many. I hate to suggest it but the state should cut life-guards or raise college tuitions, before what amounts to charging admission to state beaches.
Dude wrote on May 3, 2008 8:18 PM:Since the City of Carlsbad does'nt have any developers to extort taxes out of at this time, they are going to take it out on the people. Why don't they lay off some of those lazy pencil pushers at City Hall?
for u newbs wrote on May 3, 2008 8:53 PM:guess the newb's approve of this,me no i grew up on this beach and still surf every day,next it will be meters on coast highway,anyone know where the only parking meter is here in town,i do.if ya dont then your not a local,so say no or its gonna be pay to park.city and state parks make enough money as it is.local trivia do you know where meter is.
To Dude wrote on May 3, 2008 10:39 PM:This isn't the city of Carlsbad's doing. The article clearly states that it is the Coastal Commission wanting to charge the fee. It also states that Carlsbad has paid to keep it free in the past.
Tony wrote on May 3, 2008 10:47 PM:If everybody surveyed says they won't use the lot because of the fee, how can they possibly project an income at all, let alone $200,000? An empty lot will mean NO FEES! The city of Vista recently raised their sales tax to 8.25% and they're reporting budget shortfalls. SANDAG charges a fee to use the reversible lanes in the center of I-15 (up to $8.00 one way) which forces people to avoid those lanes and drive on the adjacent freeway instead which causes artificial congestion. NCTD thinks cutting service and raising fares will attract riders to public transit, yet the reverse is actually occurring. The bureaucrats and legislators need to learn that you cannot solve a budget shortfall by raising taxes, since it just makes the situation worse.
How many times wrote on May 4, 2008 6:20 AM:must I say "its the spending stupid" by the California legislature that has cause all this. NO NEW TAXES. CUT SPENDING NOW and CUT IT TO ILLEGALS first. Vote out Fabio Nunez and recall The Governator.
Phil wrote on May 4, 2008 6:28 AM:Residents of Carlsbad should not have to pay. Everyone else, charge them whatever you like!!!
Bogart wrote on May 4, 2008 6:35 AM:Roger @ 8:00 PM:
So you propose that someone loses their job and us parents with children in the state university system pay more than we already do so that you can park at the beach free? How about if we charge a toll to drive 5 between Oceanside and San Diego so that you can have a limo pick you up and take you to the beach?
Chas wrote on May 4, 2008 6:53 AM:The city of Carlsbad pays nothing for beach services and never has. The state picks up the tab. This is in the million's every year. All the other coastal cities pay for lifeguards even if it is state beaches, Moonlight, Swamis, etc. Carlsbad could easily pay the 200K, or the transplants could pay to fund lifeguards and clean restrooms.
KB wrote on May 4, 2008 7:17 AM:To add to “To Dudes” comment, the city is trying to prevent this from happing and keep it free parking. On the bright side at least they aren’t talking about installing parking meters like almost all beach cities have, at least the city of Carlsbad has control of the streets and not the California State Parks.
Dan wrote on May 4, 2008 8:29 AM:Wake up people! Take a look at those who CONTROL the California State Assembly and the California State Senate. If enough people cared enough to do something (like vote, make a phone call) about the mismanagement of our taxes up in Sacramento, this wouldn't be an issue.
Sacramento fat cat wrote on May 4, 2008 10:09 AM:Thank the stupid guvernator for this one. I'm glad to say I didn't vote for this jerk.
Taxpayer wrote on May 4, 2008 11:13 AM:The people in Sacramento looking for money for their budget could care less about what we think or care. They are 500 miles away and like it that way. SoCal is just a place to extract money. Maybe the state should be divided into two states. Or maybe three. Just think of the money that would not be going north to San Fran or the capital. Guaranteed we would have enough funding for local govs.
Bo wrote on May 4, 2008 11:14 AM:As State taxpayers we have already paid the fee to use these parking spaces! If more money is needed charge tourist with out of state plates.
Ann Marie wrote on May 4, 2008 12:28 PM:When will people say "Enough is enough!". The State wants to raise $200,000.00 on the back of it's residents (many are seniors enjoying a morning walk or mothers with stolers), while they could, but refuse to save billions by cutting free programs for illegal immigrants (people who ought not to be here and broke the law). Enough is enough!!!!!!!!!
BILL wrote on May 4, 2008 3:15 PM:THE RICH CELEBRITY GOV. DOES NOT CARE ABOUT US ONLY HIS EGO AND HIS POWER.
CC wrote on May 4, 2008 3:40 PM:Don't make California like the bad icky East Coast! Subsidize everything! Make everyone pay for everything, whether they use it or not!
What self centered people wrote on May 4, 2008 4:38 PM:Yeah, lets charge the other guy. Lets cut some other services. ME ME ME. I have lived here for a long time. Sure I feel a certain right to the beaches. The harsh reality is times area a changing. Personally, I know there is plenty of street parking in the vicinity of Carlsbad beaches. A little walking might be good for us. Charge it and I will go.
Vassy wrote on May 4, 2008 5:05 PM:We all feel strongly about this.....so how about this DON'T PARK THERE ANYMORE. Let the lot stay empty and let's see how much revenue it collects. I moved out here from
NY to get away from this stuff, looks like it followed me here.
Stop the Shelter wrote on May 4, 2008 10:07 PM:The city just allocated $2 million to Catholic Charities for a new shelter for "farm workers" and day laborers, many of which NCT found to be illegal aliens. That money should be used to pay for this lot.
The $2 mil is from a coastal agriculture mitigation fund set up for preservation of the environment, including beaches! Case closed!
locals wrote on May 6, 2008 12:08 AM:does anyone know where the only meter is here in town
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