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Lacombe County to launch paid parking program at beach and boat launches

Visitors of Sandy Point and Sunbreaker Cove will need to pay to play this summer.
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Effective May 1, visitors of Sandy Point and Sunbreaker Cove will need to pay to play this summer. (File photo)

Visitors of Sandy Point and Sunbreaker Cove will need to pay to play this summer.

Lacombe County made the announcement on Mar. 3, that effective May 1, paid parking will be required for anyone parking at Sandy Point Beach or the boat launches at Sandy Point and Sunbreaker Cove.

“With an increasing amount of people accessing the lake via the beach and boat launches, Lacombe County felt it was the time to implement a payment system for users of these amenities. This will assist with the maintenance and upkeep of these facilities, as well as help provide for future needs,” said Tim Timmons, county manager for Lacombe County. “HotSpot Parking will be convenient for users and will ensure safe, maintained lake access for all users to enjoy.”

Over the next few weeks signage will go up in all parking affected lots to direct users to use their mobile devices to pay for parking with HotSpot Parking Inc. HotSpot is currently being used by a number of municipalities and organizations. The County said that there are multiple benefits to using a mobile payment option.

Users can pay for their initial session and any top-ups remotely as well if they choose and users can terminate a session early and be refunded for any unused time (Sandy Point Beach only) The app will also notify users when their time is close to expiring and offer the opportunity to add more time up to the maximum for the spot. If a visitor is unable to or doesn’t want to download the mobile app, you can scan the QR code and make your payment via a fast tap payment option.

“We know this will be an adjustment, but we felt it was important to adopt a user-pay system for these facilities to help offset the County’s cost of operating them,” said Barb Shepherd, Lacombe County Reeve. “We are pleased to offer access to Gull Lake and Sylvan Lake through these facilities, and believe that this new paid parking system will ensure these amenities can be maintained and used to their full potential for residents and visitors alike.”

The county said peace officers and contracted commissionaires will use a combination of education and parking violation tags to enforce these new requirements in the 2022 season.

The Sandy Point Beach parking lot will be $3 per hour or $15 for the day. Both the Sandy Point and Sunbreaker Cove Boat Launches will be $20 per day to launch and park, $10 to launch only and $10 for additional vehicle parking only with no trailer. Visitors will not have to pay extra if you park at their designated camping spot, driveway or residence.