SCARBOROUGH – The Town Council was looking for direction on whether it should allow on-street parking at Higgins Beach, and at a public hearing Wednesday night, it got what it wanted.

More than 80 people filled the council chambers to comment on proposed changes to parking regulations in and around the popular seaside community.

After more than two hours of testimony, it was clear that the majority of residents who spoke oppose recommendations to allow unlimited year-round parking for 13 vehicles on Bayview Avenue — the street along the beach.

They also expressed reservations about creating 10 one-hour parking spaces on Bayview Avenue and creating a 100-foot-long drop-off zone near the intersection of Pearl Street and Bayview.

Residents said those measures would create traffic chaos during the summer, with drivers jockeying for the free spaces and beach-goers darting between parked cars.

“It’s not an easy situation,” said Council Chairwoman Judith Roy after the hearing.

Roy said the council will allow additional public comment on Jan. 19 before taking a final vote.

On a first reading in December, the recommendations passed by a 5-2 vote.

With grants from Land for Maine’s Future, The Trust for Public Land and the Surfrider Foundation, the town last year acquired the privately owned parking lot that had for years provided the major point of public access to Higgins Beach.

The town-owned lot has room for 62 cars, with the possibility of adding 19 to 22 spaces. It may also include a cottage-style restroom and a changing area with showers.

Even though the town preserved public access to the beach, the council voted 5-2, with Councilors Richard Sullivan and Michael Wood opposed, to recommend changes to the Higgins Beach traffic ordinance to allow on-street parking.

The changes were viewed as a compromise after a set of initial recommendations, particularly a 30-minute limit for off-season, on-street parking, sparked a public protest.

But the compromise apparently didn’t satisfy residents.

Several urged the council to scrap the on-street parking measures and wait to see if the new town-owned lot provides adequate parking.

“It’s just not a safe concept, to have on-street parking in the summer,” said Regina Day, who owns property at Higgins Beach.

Day suggested that the town explore establishing a beach shuttle bus that could carry people to Higgins from a more remote location with ample parking.

Holly Connolly said her family has lived at Higgins Beach since the late 1980s. She pointed out that its narrow streets become congested with bikers and pedestrians during the summer, which would make it dangerous if the town encouraged drivers to park on Bayview Avenue.

“The solution to all of this is the (town) lot,” said Higgins Beach resident Andrew Gwyer. “We should maximize the spaces there, maybe even sell passes to the lot. Let it lie a year and see how it works out.”

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com