Pending approval by the Fishers City Council, the City of Fishers plans to cut the seasonal nonresident parking fee at Geist Waterfront Park in half for the upcoming summer season.
The Board of Public Works and Safety voted April 9 in favor of the new parking fee plan, which calls for a nonresident fee of $25 per vehicle. Fishers residents would continue to park for free.
Director of Recreation Jake Reardon McSoley told the board that the “smart pass” system that the city required for parking last summer also would be eliminated. People visiting the park would simply stop at the gate.
“(It’s a) streamlined process for residents and (an) improvement for non-residents — you pay at the gate,” he said. “Last year, there was actually a window — you had to pay ahead of time and then show up with your receipt. You don’t have to do that this year.”
Mayor Scott Fadness said that last year’s $50 fee was established out of concern over attendance.
“Opening year, those numbers didn’t hit where were we were worried they were going to hit,” he said. “This year, we’re going to try it a little differently and then if we have to adjust accordingly, we will — if, for some reason, the population spikes out there and we’re not able to manage it from a safety perspective or parking capacity, but we feel fairly confident that we’ll be able to do so.”
The 70-acre Geist Waterfront Park, 10811 Olio Rd., first opened in May 2023 following a $30 million investment from the city.
The Fishers City Council will consider the parking fee change during its April 15 meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. at Launch Fishers, 12175 Visionary Way.
