Gulf Shores residents now have dedicated beach parking

Gulf Shores residents now have dedicated beach parkingGulf Shores residents now have dedicated beach parking

By Fran Thompson
The City of Gulf Shores has added another amenity for city residents by allocating all 120 parking spaces in the public beach parking lot east of the Pink Pony for cars displaying a Gulf Shores resident (or business owner) valid hurricane re-entry decal.
“The mayor and council thought it was the right thing do,’’said Grant Brown, the city’s recreation and cultural affairs director. “When the beach reopened and waves of visitors from other communities began to return to town, we used that opportunity to allow our true local residents to have a place to access the beach.’’
Pay stations are in place at the beach parking lots from March 1 through November 30 each year. Locals with decals can park at any of the lots for free, if they are lucky enough to find a spot. But during peak beach hours and busy tourist weekends spots in the parking lots are at a premium.
“The plan now is to keep that parking lot restricted to City of Gulf Shores residents only through Labor Day,’’ Brown said.
“We will monitor this as time moves forward.’’
The parking fee at all locations for cars without decals is $5 for up to 4 hours or $10 per day. Hurricane re-entry decals should be clearly displayed on the drivers side of the front windshield of the vehicle.
There are many other public beach parking locations that do not require a fee. These locations also operate on a first-come, first-served basis.