Stafford debates using phone app, license-plate readers to charge for river access

A proposal to charge a $10 parking fee at two of Stafford’s busiest parks didn’t sit well with county leaders.

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors is continuing to search for solutions to deal with overcrowded parking lots at Historic Port of Falmouth Beach and Aquia Landing parks. The parks are located on the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers, respectively, and are popular swimming holes.

During a recent meeting of the county’s infrastructure committee, supervisors shot down the idea of charging a $10 per-car fee. Instead, some supervisors favored allowing park-goers to pay by a smartphone app.

Once paid, the driver’s license plate be on file, and an electronic license plate reader would be used to determine who has paid and how hasn’t. Cars not registered as paying the fee would be towed, under the plan.

The parking fees would be used to recoup the cost of maintaining the parks. The county pays $100 per day at Aquia Landing, and $350 per day at Falmouth to clean up trash left behind by visitors.

Out-of-state license plates are a common sight at the park in Falmouth.

“Fifty percent of the cars coming to parks coming from Maryland,” said Falmouth District Supervisor Meg Bohmke, who says higher park entrance fees at destinations closer to Washington, D.C. prompt people to drive to Stafford’s free access points on its rivers.

Board members discussed the possibility of charging those out-of-state residents. James City County in Virginia is the only other jurisdiction in the state that charges out-of-county residents for river access, according to Stafford County officials.

While the committee is expected to continue the conversation about the crowded parking lots, the discussion comes after county officials last year opted to close the Historic Port of Falmouth Park. Swimmers at the park do so at their own risk and many have drowned. The park also lives in a flood plain and is often the scene of massive clean-up efforts following heavy rains, after large trees and other debris is left behind the receding floodwaters.

The Falmouth park opened to visitors this year as normal, however, and county officials blamed the coronavirus for not moving ahead with a plan to shutter the park. Supervisors Mark Dudenehfer and Crystal Vanuch, of the Garrisonville and Rock Hill districts, respectively, still support closing the park.

Rick Horner contributed to this report.