A year after Pinehurst introduced its downtown parking enforcement program, village officials say the plan is helping make convenient spaces more accessible to customers and visitors.
The Pinehurst parking enforcement program places a three-hour limit on 150 spaces in the downtown village center. Another 150 public spaces remain unrestricted, giving employees, business owners and other long-term visitors places to park throughout the day.
Those unrestricted options include the lot at 1 Village Green Road West, commonly known as the sandlot, and the public parking area behind the Holly Inn.
Few Drivers Have Received Paid Tickets
The Village of Pinehurst began parking coverage in June 2025. The first three months focused primarily on education, allowing drivers and downtown employees to learn about the new time limits before regular enforcement began.
Since that introductory period, the village has issued 75 citations. Of those, 66 were warnings and only nine were $50 tickets.
Village data also shows a repeat-violation rate of 12 percent, suggesting that most drivers comply with the parking rules after receiving an initial warning.
Officials say those figures indicate the program is encouraging turnover without generating a large number of fines.
Program Designed to Improve Parking Turnover
Pinehurst parking attendant Larry Brueggemeyer, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, has emphasized education and personal interaction while enforcing the policy.
The purpose of the program is to discourage employees and other long-term parkers from occupying the most convenient spaces directly in front of downtown businesses. Those spaces can then remain available for customers, restaurant patrons and visitors making shorter trips to the village center.
Village staff members say more business owners and employees are now using the unrestricted public lots. That shift has reportedly produced greater availability in the time-limited areas closest to shops and restaurants.
Parking Attendant Provides Additional Assistance
The parking attendant’s work extends beyond monitoring vehicles and issuing warnings. According to a village report, the position also creates a visible presence in the downtown area.
Brueggemeyer routinely assists visitors with directions, deliveries, blocked alleys and vehicle jump-starts. Village officials say downtown businesses, employees and patrons have generally responded positively to the program.
Pinehurst Has Tried Parking Limits Before
Parking availability has been discussed in Pinehurst for decades. From 1988 until 2008, the village imposed a two-hour parking limit and issued $5 tickets to drivers who exceeded it.
The previous program ended after a study concluded that the cost of issuing and collecting tickets exceeded the revenue it generated. Despite the end of that policy, congestion around the most desirable downtown spaces continued to be a concern.
The current program places less emphasis on ticket revenue and more emphasis on education, compliance and parking turnover. With only nine paid tickets issued and relatively few repeat violations, village leaders believe that approach is producing the desired results.
Source: Original reporting by Matt Lamb for The Pilot.
