Town Adding Park Rental Fees

If you were looking to toss a Frisbee or have a picnic over the last few months at Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park, you might have faced some competition.

Town officials say the park is so popular with charities, locals can't enjoy the grounds. They are proposing a new slate of fees meant to tamp down on weekend events and to cover the cost of police and town manpower.

"The enjoyment of the park is really becoming at risk," said Town Administrator Eric DeMoura. "If someone is getting married, and they have a group of 15 or 20 people, we couldn't really care less. But the larger events are really starting to hurt us."

The town is also proposing one Saturday a month that is reserved specifically for town residents with no rental availability for any group.

Town officials say the problem is that they have not charged for use of the park's grounds since it opened in 2005. Because it has ample parking, and because it's so close to downtown, dozens of charities launch runs and walks from the grounds.

There have been 38 runs, walks or festivals on the Cooper River park's grounds since the start of 2012. That's one event for every weekend of the year, town officials say. Fourteen have been sponsored by the town, which is exempt from the new fees.

"Our residents can't throw a Frisbee with their dog because there's an event at the park," said Councilman Chris O'Neal during a town council economic development committee meeting Monday.

The town is proposing a fee schedule based on the number of attendees. Small groups up to 240 individuals will pay $200 to reserve the park. Groups of 250 to 499 participants will pay $400. Groups of 500 to 2,000 individuals will pay $1,000. The town already bars runs and walks larger than 500 participants from starting at the park.

Other communities charge for use of public parks, and town officials think Waterfront Park has been overrun with charity events because they have so far allowed the park to be reserved for free.

The town's staff of event planners often make repeated trips to the park to supervise set up and to ensure that organizers aren't damaging the grounds or the underground irrigation system. Police supervise all the events, which is an added cost so far not passed onto organizers.

The town is only responsible for renting the grass area at the park. Other government entities handle reservations of the pier and the Cooper River Room at the town welcome center.

The town's economic development committee approved the plan Monday. Town council will vote on the matter Oct. 9. Because it's an added fee, the town will hold two public hearings on the proposal before it is adopted.