MUKILTEO — Waterfront picnics, volleyball games and strolls along the beach at Lighthouse Park soon will come with a parking fee for nonresidents.

The City Council this week approved a proposal to install parking machines in the waterfront district — including Lighthouse Park, Front Street, Park Avenue and First Street — an area which draws an estimated 750,000 visitors a year.

Twenty permit-dispensing machines are expected to be ready for use June 1, Mayor Jennifer Gregerson said.

After the program launches, Lighthouse Park will have paid parking between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. from Oct. 1 to April 30 and between 4 a.m. and 10 p.m. from May 1 to Sept. 30. Parking will cost $2 per hour from May 1 to Sept. 30 and $1 per hour from Oct. 1 to April 30.

Mukilteo residents can get a free parking pass, good for one year.

“Really, I think it’s good for everybody,” City Council President Bob Champion said. “I believe people understand that to enjoy something like that, you do have to pay a small fee. I think our fees will be reasonable.”

The City Council gave tentative approval to the proposed parking program in November and final approval Monday. City officials say the program will limit parking to four hours and should help control what can be conga lines of cars waiting for spots at popular Lighthouse Park.

It’s a big change for a waterfront area where parking has been free for decades. The city plans to post signs announcing the switch to paid parking, Gregerson said. “We’ll do some outreach to make sure people are informed and ready for the transition,” she said.

The decision to install parking machines follows years of concerns over the lack of parking in the waterfront area. Some residents complained that the parking problems were so bad they couldn’t get to the park, which their taxes help support. The situation has been so acute that the city has paid to have someone stand at the park entrance on busy summer days to cut off access when there was no parking left.

The goal is to ensure that everybody who wants to enjoy the waterfront area and Lighthouse Park is “able to get down there easily and spend time,” Gregerson said. “Encouraging people to come and go and open up (parking) space for visits is important.”

It also gives the city a source of revenue to pay for improvements at the park and on the waterfront, Gregerson said.

The council plans to review the program in November, Champion said. “This is a pilot program. We’ll learn as we go along.”

The program is expected to initially cost the city $175,090 to purchase and install the parking permit machines. Two park rangers also will be hired to help with enforcing parking and other park rules. The combined estimated salary and benefits for the two rangers is $94,432.

The program is expected to net the city a minimum of $42,099 in the first year and between $215,528 and $441,056 per year by the fifth year, according to city documents.

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.