Ludington to revisit paid parking at Stearns Park, waterfront lots

MCP file photo of Stearns Park beach.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

LUDINGTON — In another effort to make up for lost revenue, Ludington City Council is now re-exploring charging non-residents for parking at Stearns Park and several other waterfront locations.

A draft proposal prepared for council review is calling for a $15 daily parking fee or a $75 annual pass. Qualifying city property owners and residents would be eligible for free parking passes for vehicles registered to their city address. However, the draft does not address any reduced pricing for Mason County residents who live outside of Ludington.

The proposed program would operate May 15 through Sept. 15, seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., covering approximately 411 parking spaces.

The renewed discussion came more than three years after council voted to drop paid parking at Stearns Park. In June 2023, following lengthy public comment largely opposing parking fees, council voted 6-1 to refuse to allow paid parking at the park. Councilor Kathy Winczewski cast the dissenting vote.

At that meeting, council also unanimously directed its parks committee to explore alternative funding sources without considering paid parking. Then-City Manager Mitch Foster noted that the decision could be changed in the future. At the time, annual maintenance of Stearns Park was reported at approximately $500,000, paid through the city’s general fund.

The current draft, recommended by the Cemetery & Parks Committee on Sept. 22, 2026, is currently a proposal for discussion. Rates, vendor agreements, operating costs and other details would require further action.

According to the draft, city staff is proposing the program to help pay for waterfront maintenance and capital improvements while reducing reliance on the general fund. Net revenue would be intended for Stearns Park, related waterfront areas and other city parks, primarily reinvesting money in the area where it was collected.

The proposed paid parking areas included:

• Stearns Park: Approximately 272 existing spaces, plus approximately six additional or enlarged spaces along the guardrail area.
• Loomis Street/boat launch area: Approximately 75 spaces south of Loomis Street.
• Mini-golf/skate park area: Approximately 31 spaces, including 13 near mini-golf, five along Ludington Avenue and 13 south of the skate park.
• Lower water plant lot: Approximately 19 spaces.
• West End: Approximately eight spaces.

The proposal would not extend paid parking to surrounding neighborhood streets.

Under the draft requirements, qualifying city property owners and residents would obtain free passes at City Hall by presenting a valid driver’s license showing a Ludington address and a vehicle registration with the same address.

One free pass could be issued for each qualifying registered vehicle. Golf carts registered with the Ludington Police Department at a city address would also qualify for free passes, in addition to passes issued for other eligible vehicles.

The final permit policy and registration process remained among the details to be completed.

Drivers would pay through the ParkMobile app, an online guest checkout option or solar-powered pay stations accepting credit, debit and contactless payments. Telephone payment could also be available, depending on the final system configuration.

Parking sessions would be linked to license plates, eliminating the need for drivers to enter a numbered parking space.

The draft calls for approximately six pay stations, with final locations and installation requirements still to be determined. Transaction and credit card processing fees would be passed on to customers.

Routine enforcement would be assigned to seasonal civilian parking “ambassadors.” Preliminary staffing estimates called for two seasonal employees over approximately 18 weeks, at a combined salary and fringe benefit cost of about $32,000.

Ambassadors would verify parking payments by license plate before issuing citations. Violations would be handled as civil infractions under existing city procedures, with appeals heard by a magistrate. The draft suggested considering a warning period at the start of the first season.

Existing accessible parking spaces and marked loading and unloading zones would remain. The treatment of accessible parking spaces under the fee program still required confirmation. Two free spaces would be provided for the concessions vendor and one for a North Breakwater Lighthouse volunteer.

The draft does not include completed revenue projections or a total implementation cost. Expenses would include pay stations, installation, staffing, enforcement equipment, signs, maintenance and administration.

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