Oak Island seasonal parking permits to go on sale Wednesday

OAK ISLAND, N.C. (WECT) - Starting on April 1, parking in Oak Island will be enforced from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Sept. 30. Seasonal permits will go on sale Wednesday and cost $175 per vehicle for non-residents and $10 per vehicle for residents.

From March 15 to 17, an Otto Connect employee will be on the first-floor lobby of Town Hall at 4601 Oak Island Drive to sell permits. The seasonal parking permits will be on sale from 9 a.m. to noon, and town parking permits for residents will be on sale from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

On March 20 and 21, seasonal parking permits will be available to purchase from 9 a.m. to noon by calling 910-200-1497 for $175. The limit will be 200 permits per day on the pre-season purchase days and up to 1,000 total overall.

You can buy paid parking and town parking permits via the SurfCast by Otto Connect app or by calling 910-200-1497. Parking permits will be $5 an hour for a maximum of three hours, or $20 a day.

Oak Island asks anyone buying a permit to have their name, zip code, license plate number, registration state, email, phone number and a credit or debit card. In-person sales will accept checks or cash.

Oak Island Town Council discussed at their meeting on March 2 how their paid parking program will work before it takes effect on April 1.

Town Manager David Kelly explained that the parking system will function on a “first come, first serve” basis. Only 1,258 paid parking spaces will be available and 284 of them will be reserved for those who have town permits, which will be set up based on utility account numbers and unique owner codes.

Some residents expressed frustration at the meeting about right-of-way parking not being allowed during that time.

“Right away parking has been a way of life for all of us who live here on the island for decades and losing right away parking is a big deal to a lot of us,” Mara Brazil, an Oak Island resident, said.

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