Parking at the beach has always been a touchy topic. Whether it's the price or location, rarely is anybody happy. However, I can confidently say the residents of this Jersey Shore town have every right to be steaming over the new parking system and policy.

The Park Mobile virtual payment system goes into effect on May 1. Through an app, people pay to park at the beach in Belmar. Rates vary on where in town you park. Here's how it breaks down.

Here's where it gets ridiculous. Residents in Belmar that live in those zones will not be getting a permit. They will have to pay to park at their homes. In some cases, visitors to the town will pay less than residents. The east side of Ocean Avenue will be $1 per hour, while the mostly residential area around Silver Lake will be $2 per hour. Oh, and those costs are 7 am-10 pm. 10 pm!

Are you kidding me?

Michael Boyce lives on 5th Avenue between Ocean Avenue and A Street. He told 94.3 The Point that his complex has only 23 spaces for 30 apartments. Boyce went on to say that many of these apartments have multiple residents and rely on street parking throughout the year.

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According to Boyce, he and other residents were never contacted by the Borough of Belmar before launching this new parking system. He told The Point that as of this writing there has not been any indication that the Borough will be assisting Belmar residents with parking passes or working on a solution.

Boyce is not alone in his displeasure. Others have taken to social media to voice their frustration.

I’ve never heard of being charged to park to live in my apartment.

It would be nice if one side of all streets not metered was for residents only with a parking sticker. The other side anyone could use. It’s only fair to the residents as we're the ones living here and paying taxes.

Was an annual resident permit even discussed? This is like a slap in the face to the residents in these areas.

To the Borough of Belmar: your residents deserve answers.

  • Were they contacted before the announcement?
  • Why are you requiring those who live in these parking areas to pay to park at their own homes?
  • Why are parking zones used primarily for visitors less expensive than those with more residents?
  • Are you open to bringing this matter to a public discussion?

And this one is from me. Why do you continue to make greedy decisions that are starting to give your town a bad reputation? We've been down this road before. I look forward to hearing from someone from The Borough of Belmar. My email is Matt@943thepoint.com.

Residents of Belmar, hang in there. I've got your back.

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