Visiting Sea Pines? Here's what you need to know about beach parking
A Sea Pines parking policy change that could charge some beach visitors a $10 fee began last weekend.
Under the new plan, some people will have to pay the fee to use the Sea Pines Beach Club if they do not get one of the first 50 parking spaces between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, according to Sea Pines Resort officials.
"Property owners love it," said John Munro, vice president of hospitality, resort sales and marketing for the Sea Pines Resort. "Sea Pines Resort guests love it. And the others are understanding."
Those who have free access to the first 50 parking spaces include:
▪ Sea Pines property owners
▪ Guests of the Sea Pines Resort
▪ Overnight guests in rental and resort accommodations within the community
▪ Occupants of vessels docked at Harbour Town or South Beach
▪ Long-term renters who paid for a car decal
The remaining 108 parking spaces in the Beach Club lot and the 100 overflow parking spaces — a grass lot at the Plantation Golf Club — are free to a subset of the group named above:
▪ Owners of boat slips at Harbour Town
▪ Harbour Town Yacht Club members
▪ Registered guests of the Sea Pines Resort
▪ Sea Pines property owners with an "undivided" property, which excludes timeshare owners
Those who only qualify for the first 50 spots but do not get one of the spaces — timeshare owners and overnight guests with rental companies other than the Sea Pines Resort, for example — will have to pay the $10 fee and park in the overflow lot, Munro said previously.
Those who wish to avoid the fee can park elsewhere and take the trolley to the Beach Club, according to resort officials.
Day visitors, who pay a $6 gate fee, will not be allowed to park in either lot, so the $10 fee does not apply to them.
Day visitors may park for free at the Plantation Golf Club if they are playing golf or visiting the clubhouse, according to an FAQ sheet released by the resort.
Toby McSwain, director of safety and security in Sea Pines, said previously those paying the gate fee can still access the beach by taking the trolley.
Attendants will monitor parking between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. until Labor Day.
Only Sea Pines property owners can access Tower Beach on South Sea Pines Drive.
This story was originally published June 4, 2018 at 8:29 AM with the headline "Visiting Sea Pines? Here's what you need to know about beach parking."