If you are planning a trip to Barrington Beach this weekend, you may want to get there early.

Officials say parking spaces at the town beach have been hard to find on weekends and holidays this summer. The spots go quickly, often taken up by non-residents who arrive before the beach opens and stay all day long. The beach is equipped with gates, but town officials leave them open so residents who want to use the beach for kayaking or swimming early in the morning can do so. 

Members of the Barrington Town Council addressed the issue during their meeting on Monday night, July 22. Council President Carl Kustell said he received one complaint from someone and then discovered the town manager had received multiple complaints from residents who have been turned away when trying to park at the beach.  

“There’s a high demand for parking at the town beach,” said Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey, adding that the parking issue has intensified recently. 

Members of the Council eventually voted 4-0 to send the issue to the Park and Recreation Commission, the Economic Development Commission, and the town’s solicitor to work on potential solutions and revenue-building ideas.

More data

Hervey told Council members that he would like to study the situation and collect parking data for the rest of the summer. Once officials have compiled more information about the parking issue, they can begin to work on potential solutions, he said. 

The new Barrington Recreation Department Director Jean Bellm told Council members that she conducted a vehicle count at the town beach recently — she stopped by the beach an hour before it opened and tallied the number of cars parked in the lot. Bellm said there were 26 cars parked in the lot early Saturday morning and between 13 and 20 most weekdays. 

Hervey said officials would like to continue to collect data and return to the September Council meeting with a better idea about “what we’re dealing with.”

Officials cautioned people at the meeting that there would not likely be a solution in place this summer. Any change would require the introduction of an ordinance at one Council meeting, and then a public hearing a month later. Kustell added that he did not want this issue to fall off the radar. 

According to Hervey, the town has sold more than 2,000 resident parking passes for Barrington Beach this summer. However, there are only 130 parking spots. In addition, the town sells day passes to residents and non-residents alike. 

Hervey said the growing popularity of the town beach is not unique to Barrington. He said parks and beaches all across the country have experienced more visits and increased traffic. 

“It’s a good problem to have. People want to enjoy our beach,” he said.

Increased revenue

Council member Braxton Cloutier said the town beach parking issue surfaced at a recent EDC meeting; Cloutier serves as Council liaison to the EDC. He said officials believe the demand for parking at the town beach may be an opportunity to generate more revenue.

Council member Kate Berard said she recently visited Gloucester, Mass. and learned how that community handles parking at its beaches. Berard said Gloucester has an online reservation system for parking at one of its beaches. She said Gloucester also uses a shuttle system for another beach, carrying beach-goers from a parking area to the beach. Berard said Barrington could consider that, and possibly use a parking area near the shopping center which could serve as a boost to local businesses. Berard suggested Barrington officials study how other towns deal with beach parking issues. 

Price to park

Barrington officials already bumped up the cost to purchase a non-resident parking pass earlier this year. Last summer, non-resident parking passes at Barrington Beach cost $10 on weekdays, weekends and holidays. This summer, non-resident parking passes cost $15 on weekdays and $20 on weekends and holidays.

Barrington officials examined parking pass rates at other beaches in nearby towns before deciding to increase the non-resident fees at Barrington Beach. 

According to a town official, Warren charges $10 on weekdays and $20 on weekends for non-resident parking, while Bristol charges $20 on weekdays and $30 on weekends.