It’s getting more expensive to use coastal areas in Los Angeles County.
The County Board of Supervisors approved a proposal this week to increase fees at County beaches and facilities. The increases are estimated to generate an additional $873,000 annually.
Parking fees will require approval from the California Coastal Commission but if passed, rates could increase across many of 19 lots operated by the County at beached and in the 15 lots in Marina Del Rey.
“The Department is recommending adjusting certain beach parking fees, as well as the holiday and special event rate and the short-term parking rate at both beach and Marina parking lots. Parking fees being recommended for increase have not been increased since 2009,” said a letter to the Supervisors from staff. “The recommended fee increases will align the Department's parking fees with the fees charged at comparable parking lots in the vicinity. Parking fees will be increased incrementally, not to exceed $1 per year.”
In addition to parking fees, RV fees will be increased and fees to store some boats will also go up. New fees will be created for renting some county property such as the Chase Park Boathouse (starting at $85 per hour for meeting rooms and $130 an hour for the Top Deck). Fees for dry-storing sail boats will be between $140 and $250 a month depending on size. No changes are proposed for dry storing power boats but small craft such as kayaks or paddleboards will have their fees go up by about $30 a year. Rental fees for kayaks and guest dock rates are also scheduled to increase.
The fee changes will help some organizations that rent County property for summer caps.
“As approved by your Board in 2011, the Beach and Harbor Use License Policy (Policy) requires summer camp operators to pay the County annually both 15% of the gross receipts they generate and their established location bid fee,” said the staff letter. “We recommend the licensee pay the greater of 15% of their gross receipts or their location bid fee, not both. In addition, at the beginning of each annual term, licensees are required to pay the estimated gross receipts fee in full or through an installment agreement of 25%, 25% and 50%.”
While parking rate increases will have to wait for Coastal Commission approval, staff said all other increases will be in place by August 1.
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