Fishers City Council approves lower parking fee for nonresidents at Geist Waterfront Park

Lifeguard stands line the new, 100-yard-long beach at Geist Waterfont Park, which also features an elaborate ship-themed playground. While the 70-acre park opens April 22, the beach won’t open until late May. The park marks the first public access to Geist Reservoir. (IBJ photo/Eric Learned)

The city of Fishers will cut its parking fee in half for nonresidents during this year’s summer beach season at Geist Waterfront Park and only apply the fee during peak usage times.

The Fishers City Council voted 8-0 to approve a new parking fee structure that lowers the daily price from $50 to $25 for visitors who live outside the city. The $50 fee was instituted last year to prevent overcrowding at the new venue and preserve spaces for Fishers residents, but the hefty price drew criticism on social media, especially from nonresidents.

The new parking fee for nonresidents will only be in effect during peak times, such as on weekends and holidays, Fishers Director of Recreation and Wellness Jake Reardon-McSoley told city councilors.

Parking fees for nonresidents will apply to individual vehicles regardless of the number of occupants. Nonresidents also will be able to pay at the gate, unlike last year when they were required to pay in advance.

Fishers residents will continue to receive free parking at Geist Waterfront Park. This year, they will be asked to show a driver’s license at the gate, while in 2023, they used a digital pass through an app called Openpath.

Fishers residents and people who live outside the city will be able to swim for free at the park during beach season, which will run from May 25 to Sept. 2. Parking fees will not be charged until beach season begins.

Lifeguards will be on duty during beach season from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

City officials said last year that the $50 parking fee was instituted over concerns about possible overcrowding and traffic congestion, but visits fell far short of predictions.

The city expected to have 150,000 visitors during last year’s summer beach season. According to numbers provided by the city, a total of 7,254 entries (individual vehicles with any number of passengers, bicycles and people walking in) passed through the gate at Geist Waterfront Park between Memorial Day and Labor Day last year.

“What we learned was that we did have a safe summer and it was extremely successful by many measures,” Reardon-McSoley said. “One thing that we definitely learned, though, is we had additional capacity to welcome more patrons. We want this to be a vibrant amenity for the whole community.”

Reardon-McSoley told council members there were 100 days during last year’s summer beach season. However, the park was only open for 84 days due to to closures for environmental concerns, such as dangerous air conditions from Canadian wildfire smoke.

The park also closed for three days in late August due to high levels of E. coli that were found in the water. Reardon-McSoley said the city performs weekly water testing at Geist Waterfront Park, as well as weekly algae removal.

Reardon-McSoley added that the temperature was below 80 degrees for 20 days the park was open during the season.

Mayor Scott Fadness said more than 15,000 residents signed up for the digital pass and that the park would have had difficulties with capacity had enough people used the park regularly.

“On a sunny June day, we would have been in trouble in terms of being able to maintain that,” Fadness said. “So, just understand that this is a measured approach because had those 15,000 activated, you would have had quite a traffic phenomenon on Olio Road.”

The 70-acre park along Geist Reservoir debuted last spring after three years of construction. The park at 10811 Olio Road features a 100-yard-long beach along a cove with a channel connecting the cove to Geist Reservoir.

The park was designed by Indianapolis-based Browning Day and was planned to be built in three stages. City officials expect the park to be fully complete by 2040.