CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — Even on a raw, rainy spring day, Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth is a popular place.
People, mostly from out of state, were anxious to see Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.
Jan Hildebrand is visiting Maine from St. Paul, Minnesota. She was at the park with Marlo Yhnatko, who is from Tampa, Florida.
"It's outstanding. You look back and look at this and see the history coming out of it," said Hildebrand, pointing to Portland Head Light.
"I love it," Yhnatko said. "It's super cool. It's nice."
D'Aul and Joe Meherg are from Alabama and have been married for 37 years. They say even on a cold, rainy day, Portland Head Light is beautiful.
"You can't get more gorgeous than this. This is what I think of when I think of Maine."
The steady stream of visitors parked at Fort Williams for free. But come July, for premium parking spots, that will change.
On Monday, the Cape Elizabeth town council voted unanimously to charge non-Cape Elizabeth residents two dollars an hour, or ten dollars a day, to park during the busy season, which is May to October.
More than one million people visit the park every year. That number has doubled in the last decade.
Jamie Garvin is the chair of the Cape Elizabeth Town Council.
"There's a lot of work that needs to be done, and it costs a lot of money to operate the park," Garvin said. "We've got a lot of capitol improvement projects that need to be made."
The parking fees are expected to cover the park's $300,000 annual budget, a burden town residents have had to bear.
"We wanted to figure out a way we could gently and modestly spread that burden around a little bit."
The idea of charging people is not new. The town tried twice before -- referendums in 2006 and 2010, both times overwhelmingly voted down.
When the town rolled out the specifics of their new plan, Cape Elizabeth residents, who already support the park through their taxes, learned they wouldn't have to pay the fee.
"That really changed public opinion, quite a bit," Gavin said. "Cape is a town of people, who if they're not happy with things will let you know about it, and we didn't hear a lot of push back this time around."
Tourists at the park say they have no problem paying a parking fee.
"It's so beautiful, and I'd be willing to pay the price to come visit this gorgeous spot," Hildebrand said.
"I would definitely pay for premium parking, because I know it would go to a good cause to restore the park," Yhnatko said.
Joe Meherg, who has visited lighthouses all over the country, marveled at Portland Head Light.
"Look at it -- it's absolutely gorgeous, well-kept, well-kept grounds. You've got history here -- why wouldn't you pay for it?"
Town officials say the parking fees are critical if they want to be able to preserve the park for generations to come.