MARION — With summer now in full swing, parking is one of the hottest commodities in Marion.

“There’s a general consensus that we need to address the parking situation,” said Vin Malkoski, Chair of the Marion Resource Commission, at a Select Board meeting on Tuesday, July 1.

A lack of available parking is a town-wide issue in Marion, according to Malkoski, and officials plan on finding solutions starting with overcrowding at Island Wharf.

The board and Malkoski discussed the persistent pattern of vehicles parking on the open space next to the Robert O. Broomhead Bandstand at Island Wharf in the grass. The wharf currently has a gravel parking lot which can quickly fill on days with popular events and musical performances, leading vehicles to park in the adjacent open space.

“It’s the use of the grass that doesn’t have a full process,” said Malkoski, suggesting “something as simple as a [parking] coordinator for the field and [outlining] uses that are allowed and not allowed.”

Select Board Member Norman Hills expressed opposition to continuing to have cars parked on the grassy open space.

“Nobody has ever said you can use the grass for whatever you want,” he said, recommending that the Sippican Elementary School parking lot or the Silvershell Beach parking lot can be used for overflow parking.

Select Board Chair Randy Parker advocated for the idea of using the open space for overflow parking only on a “temporary basis” for specific events that would require extra accommodation, including band performances, weddings and town events.

“We want a shared place and I don’t think there’s anything worse than driving by there and having a ghost town because people can’t find a place to park,” he said.

John Hoagland suggested the idea of possibly distributing parking tickets to those who leave their vehicles at the wharf for eight hours or more without a resident sticker or boating permit in order to reduce congestion, stating that the consequences should be “severe enough that people will adjust.”

The board will continue to seek short-term solutions for these issues alongside the Harbormaster Department and Marine Resource Commission, all while planning a committee specializing in parking at Island Wharf to create a definitive long-term plan.