Where Are the Resident-Only Beach Parking Spaces Located this Year?

One year after four separate changes made to the location of North Hampton State Beach's parking spaces created a lot of confusion and frustration, the state will attempt to quell concerns about access and fairness over where residents and tourists are allowed to park their vehicles.

The beach's 20 resident parking spaces, permits for which are sold by the town for $30, will be split this year on either side of the middle of the lot. Each grouping of 10 leased spaces will begin at the access points to the beach and move outward away from the middle of the lot, according to North Hampton Select Board Chairman Jim Maggiore.

Thirty-two parking spaces located in the middle of the lot separate the two access points to the beach. Maggiore said the southern most parking space in the northern set of 10 leased spaces will be located at the northern beach access point, while the northern most parking space in the southern set of 10 leased spaces will be located at the southern beach access point.

This layout is different from the various lot designs utilized last year by the state, which moved spaces four times in 2012 for a variety of reasons.

The town began leasing the parking spaces on April 1. Selectmen voted this year to increase the fee by $5 to $30 per permit, according to Maggiore, in order to maintain a flat level of funding for the North Hampton Recreation Department, which receives the revenue from the permit sales.

"If we kept the fee where it was, we would see significant decreases in funding for rec programs," said Maggiore.

The state meters will begin charging for the non-resident spaces on May 1, and individuals without a resident sticker properly displayed on their vehicles will be assessed a $100 fine or possibly towed if they are found illegally parking in the leased spaces, according to North Hampton Deputy Police Chief Mike Maddocks.

Parking meters have been active at Hampton Beach since April 1.

Many residents have complained in the past about the location of leased parking spaces at North Hampton State Beach, from concerns about their lack of proximity to both the beach access points and the bathhouse — the new version of which is nearly complete — to accessibility issues due to rocky pathways.

Those concerns continued Monday night, as one woman wrote to the select board to state the "conditions do not warrant the price" and that the "situation at our beach has gotten worse every year."

Selectman Phil Wilson admitted the situation hasn't been perfect in recent years, and said the town will have to "see how [the new layout] works this year."

Maggiore agreed.

"While the access isn't right in the middle of all of the spaces, at least they have access to the beach," said Maggiore. "So I hope that does work."