Town leaders in Scarborough, Maine, are considering a proposal to increase non-resident beach pass fees as they grapple with a surge in demand in recent years, NEWS CENTER Maine reports.
Currently, Scarborough offers non-resident beach passes for $150. The proposal would raise that fee $30 to $180, and limit the number of available passes to 400. Leaders are also considering a flat $20 parking fee.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
This comes as the town has seen a 92% increase in the number of non-resident passes issued between 2019 and 2024.
Operating costs for the beaches - Pine Point, Ferry Beach, and Higgins Beach - have increased by nearly $2 million over the last four years, and there have been overcrowding issues.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
"We've seen a huge hike in how many out-of-town passes that we've had just in this past year," Karin Shupe, a member of the Scarborough Town Council, told NEWS CENTER Maine. "To the point where we now have residents with passes, unable to access the beaches. And so as a council, we really want to make sure our residents at a minimum are able to access the beaches first."
Opponents argue that price increases won't necessarily solve the problem of overcrowding and could price neighbors out of enjoying the shoreline.
