Fishers may charge non-residents $50 to utilize the new beach on Geist

Fishers, Indiana – On Monday night, the Fishers City Council is expected to vote on a resolution that would charge non-residents $50 to park their cars in the brand-new Geist Waterfront Park.

The park’s beach will open on May 27 after a test opening in April at 10811 Olio Road. Along Geist Reservoir is the beach.

Nate Fulton, a resident of Fishers, went to the park on Friday. “I come here every once and a while, mainly just to do some running as it is a beautiful place to run. The path is really smooth.”

He disagrees, though, that visitors should have to pay $50 to park.

“I think if they add more parking or if they add more restaurants to eat as you can spend your day here, then I can see the value in it,” Fulton said.

There is space for 240 cars in the parking lot. 300 people can swim in the cove at once.

Fishers council member Jocelyn Vare commented, “I’m opposed to the $50 parking fee for nonresidents so I would propose a $10 dollar. To me, that makes a lot of sense and is a lot more reasonable.”

Documents show that the city invested $15 million in the park’s initial development. It has a beach, a play area, kayak rentals, and refreshment kiosks.

According to the ordinance establishing the parking fee, the city needs money to operate the park.

Vare is concerned that those unable to pay for parking in the park would park elsewhere. “I’m really concerned about people finding parking in other places. There’s not a crosswalk across the street, so I think we have a safety issue that might have to be addressed.”

Vare disagrees that tourists from other cities should face consequences for enjoying Fishers’ amenities. “We are the home of Ikea, we are the home of Topgolf, and we are preparing an event center, and we’re the home of Conner Prairie,” she said.

Residents in Fishers can download an app to their smartphones to enter Geist Waterfront Park.