On Thursday April 10, 2008 the California Coastal Commission was scheduled to hold a hearing (and vote) regarding the The California Department of Parks and Recreation‘s request to install a “mechanical fee collection device at Carlsbad State Beach Parking lot” at Tamarack Surf Beach where State Parks hopes to charge a flat rat of $8.00 per day to park in the lot. The hearing has now been postponed according to the Coastal Commission .
We mentioned this the first time on November 17, 2007 when the pending permit notice went up on the Tamarack sign. Now, it looks like it will proceed, as the Coastal Commission staff is recommending approval.
Staff is recommending approval of the project with various special conditions. . . Special conditions include the requirement for a monitoring program to document any impacts to public access, or the development of additional public trails down the coastal bluff. A further special condition has been recommended to approve the parking fees on a trial three year basis.
Obviously, we believe this is a terrible idea for several reasons, most importantly being that it is going to simply push all the people up into Carlsbadistan. When parking on the streets is free and it costs $8.00 to park at the beach, where are people going to park? That’s right: in our neighborhood. We think it is completely selfish of the California State Parks to try to raise funds by packing our streets even more than they already are.
We have contact the Carlsbad City Managers office and will report back as soon as we have any more information.
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Garfield Street (and all of the entrance steets to the coast and up to the railroad tracks) is already a parking lot on days when the sun is out, the waves are up and the weekends roll around! Will business that uses the Tamarack parking lot for their diner parking (valet parking) pay as well? Thanks for the update on the issue, you are the best! Keep up the awesome reporting…
I agree with this parking fee. I don’t live in Carlsbad, but went to Tamarack STATE Beach to surf awhile ago and was constantly asked “where are you from,” and “do you live here?” If folks in Carlsbad want the STATE beach to themselves then the State should make the City of Carlsbad and its residents pay for parking and the miscellaneous upkeep of the beach. Maybe now if I go to Tamarack STATE beach I can tell the locals that I paid my $8 whenever they ask.
Surf Rider it sounds to me like your being harassed at Tamarack had more to do with your inability to surf than where you parked to go to the beach.
Paying an 8 dollar fee at the parking lot isn’t going to hide the fact that you surf a longboard with a leash.
…and if you are not “kooking” in the line-up, you are puttering your spotless weekend warrior Harley up and down the coast while sporting a Hot Topic flame and scull jacket.
Take your $8 and go buy another grande Frappuccino!
You know, the great thing about surfing is what if you miss a set because someone is still learning the lineup- there is always another one. So lets take a step back and cut the locals only crap and remember that if it is a state or public beach then that break is for everyone.
I was BORN here (in O-side) 49 years ago and couldn’t agree more with Easy Rider… you punks (both young AND old) with your localism attitudes are completely missing the heart and soul of surfing, and you will never be true surfers if you keep that selfish attitude.
Its ridiculous to charge a fee for a small parking lot that has been free to the public for years.One of the great things of living in Carlsbad is its small town friendly feel – this parking fee makes us conform to the rest of the country and we lose our individuality. Its gotten to the point that I will park 25 yards across the road and walk to the beach. Or is the council planning to install parking meters there too????
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