Surfside Beach began having metered parking along Ocean Boulevard, but not all the residents are happy about it.
"We can already see it's a bad idea. It's just a bad idea," said Miles Servant.
Surfside Beach Town Council put parking legislation in place that would limit areas for people to park legally on Ocean Boulevard. They outlined the legal areas for parking with parking meters.
"That 12 to 14 weeks a year when people spend their hard earned money for a week at the beach, that they have available, legal parking spaces," said Mayor Doug Samples.
It is now illegal to park 30 feet from a stop sign, 10 feet from a beach access, and 10 feet from a driveway in Surfside Beach.
Servant feels the meters will deter business from Surfside.
"I'm afraid it's going to affect property values and the appeals of Surfside Beach for our summer tourists," said Servant.
The mayor says the parking meters may not be the best solution for Ocean Boulevard parking.
"I don't personally like the change, but council collectively made a decision," said Samples.
The meters will be running in Surfside through October. They have hired a private company to manage them.
Some residents hope that council make changes to the parking next year.
"If parking on the boulevard is a problem, there should be no parking and the city should move forward with parking," said Servant.
Residents of Surfside Beach can apply for parking stickers that will make them exempt from the meters.
To get that parking sticker, just take your identification to the Surfside Beach Town Hall.
