The state will retain 300 free parking stalls at Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor, while converting 266 to paid parking stalls at 25 cents an hour, under a plan unanimously approved today by the state Land Board.

The approval comes after more than a year of discussions between the state and harbor and ocean users about how to better manage the parking, while still ensuring that everyone from surfers to boaters has ocean access.

"This was a beach before it was a harbor," said Melissa Ling-Ing, of Common Ground, a coalition of surfers, paddlers and other recreation groups that use parking at the harbor.

She said that people would prefer to keep all 549 existing free stalls at the harbor as they are. But if users have to pay for some spots, she said, 25 cents is a fair number since that's the rate found at the Honolulu Zoo and along Kapi'olani Park.

Ed Underwood, head of the state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, which oversees the harbor, initially proposed the rate be $1 per hour.

But board members said the figure seemed too high.

The parking proposal approved today also calls for the formation of an ad-hoc committee of community members to oversee implementation of the new parking plan, and it sets hours for the parking area. It will be closed from 10:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. once the plan is implemented.

The state will also put up signage in the area to indicate the area is for harbor and ocean users only. Officials said the parking lot is often filled with vehicles belonging to construction and hotel workers.

The next step is for the state to find a vendor to manage the paid parking area. If the 25 cent/hour rate does not make financial sense for the vendor, which would restripe the parking area and install pay stations, then the board would have to take up the matter again and potentially increase the hourly fee.

It's unclear when the parking spaces at the harbor will be converted, but Underwood said it will likely be as early as this year.