Lifestyle Trend: This airport is introducing paid parking as demand grows You Should Know

VERO BEACH, Fla. — Vero Beach’s airport is preparing to introduce paid parking as growing passenger demand has left its lots crowded.

The Vero Beach City Council voted 4-1 Monday to lease the entire parking lot area to a private company that will redevelop and manage the space. Currently, parking at the airport is free.

WATCH BELOW: Vero Beach airport is introducing paid parking

Why Vero Beach airport parking will no longer be free

Vero Beach Vice Mayor Taylor Dingle said the expansion of commercial airline service made the change necessary.

“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have JetBlue and American Airlines. We would probably only stick to lot C, so we have to make accommodations here,” Dingle said.

The company leasing the property would need to invest about $5 million to improve the lots. Airport staff stressed that leasing the entire parking area was the most cost-effective and efficient option.

“The airport is looking for the best option to put the most amount of parking in as quickly as possible,” Brandon Dambeck, operations manager for Vero Beach Airport, said.

The project would increase parking capacity by creating 500 paid parking spots, 100 employee spaces and about 30 spaces in a cellphone waiting lot. At 70% occupancy for $10 a day, airport officials said parking would generate about $422,000 a year.

The decision is bringing mixed reactions from residents. Sebastian resident James Parla, who said he previously had to drive to Orlando to catch flights to New York, expressed some skepticism.

“I don’t think it’s a great idea. I don’t know how people are going to take to it,” Parla said.

But Parla acknowledged a potential upside.

“If they can use that money to improve the airport, not for profit, that might not be a bad thing,” Parla said.

Vero Beach resident Robin Yencho, who said he is preparing to take his first flight out of the airport, said he sees the pricing as fair.

“Ten dollars is very reasonable in comparison to any other airports that you go to for parking,” Yencho said.

Yencho also said he supports the revenue model.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have an extra source of income for the airport,” Yencho said.

The next step is for the airport to begin lease negotiations with the company.

Portions of this story were assisted by artificial intelligence tools and reviewed by a WPTV journalists to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to editorial standards.