WESTPORT — Visitors to the beachfront Horseneck Landing (across from the Lifesaving Station) will continue to need a beach parking permit, the Board of Selectmen agreed in a 4-1 vote (Brian Valcourt opposed) last Monday evening.

Last year, the board voted to require beach parking permits for the relatively small parking area as a way to handle overflow from the state’s Gooseberry Island parking area that had temporarily closed due to Covid-19. That requirement has since expired. 

Advocates of the move, including the Landing Commission, said that it helped alleviate crowding that often filled the lot by mid-morning days, with many of the spots taken by out-of-state vehicles.

And neighbors said they appreciated that the requirement helped alleviate traffic, noise and other issues.

Opponents said it made parking unavailable to out-of-town bird watchers, fishermen and visitors to the Lifesaving Station museum. And they said that the state has since reopened its Gooseberry parking area (although that lot doesn’t open early in the morning when fishermen and bird watchers like two visit).

Board member Shana Shufelt, who also chairs the Parking Permit Task Force, said the task force voted recently to recommend requiring beach parking permits there. It also urged that signs alerting motorists to the requirement be placed in front of the parking area instead of on poles — some ticketed drivers complained that they did not see the signs.

Selectman Brian Valcourt again urged against requiring beach parking permits, saying it eliminates one more free thing for people to do and unfairly targets people who aren’t fortunate enough to live in a town by the ocean. 

At least, he said, the Lifesaving Station should be allowed a certain number of permits that it could provide to visitors.

The Fishermen’s Association, the town and the state, he said, made a substantial investment in that museum, an investment that would be undermined if free parking is not available.

Ms. Shufelt offered a motion requiring beach parking permits while providing the Lifesaving Station with four day passes for use by visitors. Also, board members agreed that parking should be allowed for special events at the Lifesaving Station.

Board member Steven Ouellette was among the majority to support the motion but added that he wished that parking there could remain free and open to all — “Unfortunately, people don’t take care of it and cause issues.”