A parking plan in Onset that would protect street parking for residents, provide permit parking for out-of-towners and local employees and enforce a towing of violators was recommended by Selectmen Tuesday night.

The parking plan, spearheaded by Town Administrator Derek Sullivan and Harbormaster Garry Buckminster, would provide residents with free stickers to park in residential areas and erect "resident only" parking signs that would tow violators who don't have an Onset resident sticker.

The Selectmen recommended the plan, which according to Town Attorney Richard Bowen will now go before the Board of Road Commissioners in order to be implemented.

"We were hoping July 1 implementation of this but we're probably looking at next year now," Sullivan said.

Selectman Alan Slavin said the idea behind the plan was to protect Onset residents from someone coming in form out of town and parking in front of their house because they don't want to pay for parking at one of the town lots that use kiosks, such as the Onset Pier parking lot or Union Avenue lot.

"The work that was put into this was to help the residents," Sullivan said.

Originally, the proposal called for Onset residents to purchase parking stickers for $30 a year, $15 for seniors, and for select areas to be used for permit parking for visiting beachgoers, boaters and business employees. Those permits would cost $50 annually.

But Selectman argued that it is unfair to charge residents for the ability to park in front of their own homes.

"It's unfair that we target the residents for a fee," Selectman Patrick Tropeano said, noting that the city of Boston provides residents with free parking stickers in certain "resident only" parking zones.

The original plan also called for a $30 ticket to be issued to violators, but Selectmen agreed that was not strong enough a deterrent.

"A $30 ticket to park for the day? Most people would consider that cheap," Tropeano said. "We need signs that say we're going to tow. That's the only way this is going to work."

Selectman Peter Teitelbaum suggested asking the Board of Road Commissioners to adjust the parking fine to $100 or so, thereby shifting the burden of the cost for the "resident only" parking signs on the violators.

"Revenue from visitors is better than revenue from residents," Selectman Steve Holmes said.

The select areas where non-residents can purchase $50 stickers to park are on Highland Avenue between 11th and 10th Street and 10th Street between Highland and Union Avenue as well as portions of East Central Avenue near Dummy Bridge. The left side of Highland Avenue where there are houses opposite the Hammond school would also be a "resident only" parking zone.

The plan also provides for time-limited free street parking along Onset Avenue and some adjacent streets as well as no parking areas in some of the eastern parts of town.