What to Know About the 2023 Town Ordinance
On January 10, 2023, the Oak Island Town Council voted four to one to approve a service agreement with Otto Connect, Inc., for paid parking services on Oak Island. The Town Council also passed an amendment to the town’s code of ordinances related to parking that also abolishes right of way parking on Oak Island. Oak Island Accommodations is working diligently to coordinate with town officials and gain a better understanding of what this will new development will look like for our property owners and visitors.
Under the new ordinance, paid parking will run every year from April 1 through September 30 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Once the program is enacted, parking for those without a town resident decal will cost $5 per hour, $20 per day, or $80 per week. Parking passes will be purchased electronically at time of use through a mobile app. The Town will offer a very limited number of annual passes for $175 each that will link to a single license plate, but we are unsure at this time of any further restrictions or requirements to purchase a yearly pass. Yearly parking passes are anticipated to be available for sale sometime in the early spring.
The Town Council has also abolished right of way parking throughout the town. The right of way is the grassy area immediately adjacent to the road that locals and visitors to Oak Island have used for overflow parking at a property, otherwise known as streetside parking. Driveways usually cross over the right of way and are exempt from restriction. We know some of our guests have traditionally used these areas in order to accommodate extra vehicles, boats and trailers when staying at a vacation rental. With this in mind, guests may need to make plans to limit the number of vehicles they will bring to Oak Island. If you have already booked a vacation home and have questions about how many vehicles the rental's driveway can accommodate, contact our guest services department and a staff member will assist you.
We’re sure you have questions. Rest assured, we do too! The Town of Oak Island has created a dedicated page on their website that includes a Frequently Asked Questions section that is still being expanded on. We highly recommend checking this valuable resource out directly, but we’ve also provided answers below to some of the questions most likely to be shared by our guests and owners.
We understand that, for those that have vacationed on Oak Island for many years, this is a big change. We appreciate your patience as we work to help you find your parking place by the sea.