City council's decision to return to pay
parking downtown is raising concerns for business owners in the downtown.
On Monday city council instructed city staff and the city's finance and audit committee to prepare a report with options on how to bring pay parking back to downtown streets. In 2009 the city removed its parking meters downtown as part of a two-year pilot project.
Lost revenue, resulting in a $160,000 per year cost to taxpayers, was cited by several city councillors as the main reason for the move.
"We appreciate the reasons they're doing it. We all are taxpayers," Downtown Business Improvement Association (DBIA) president Rod Holmes said.
"The part we don't [appreciate] is I'm sure it's not going to help us revitalize downtown. The people I've talked to are concerned about it."
Holmes said the DBIA board is brainstorming to create a list of alternatives the city could pursue to keep on-street parking free downtown.
"Unfortunately there are some
people who are abusing it," he said. "Everybody wants to park right in front of the business they are shopping at. If you're going to be there all day, then maybe park off the street."
While some businesses downtown provide parking on their property, or pay for staff to park in the city's off-street lots, others do not, he said.
Downtown businesses could do more to encourage their staff to park in the city's off-street lots, he said.
Anthony Voitik and Louise Fonda, co-owners of downtown retailer Homework, said the city is making the wrong move.
"There is a lot of positive momentum going forward ... but they're just going to smack it back," Voitik said.
"It's fine the way they have it now."
Fonda said the current free two hours is already limiting for people who want to go to lunch and browse in stores.
Asking shoppers to then pay on top of limiting the time they can park will further discourage people from coming downtown, Fonda said.
"We've got some fantastic restaurants downtown. [But] it's going to take longer than two hours to have lunch and go shopping," she said.
If downtown business staff taking up parking spaces is an issue, the city could work to provide downtown staff with free parking in off-street parking lots, she said.
Plateau Clothing Co. owner Jody Sigurdson said requiring residents to have change to plug parking meters or go to parking ticket dispensers located on the block adds a layer of inconvenience.
"Not everybody has change. People don't want to do it," Sigurdson said.
"They don't want to run around a parking lot to buy a ticket."
The money the city would have to spend to install
parking meters or ticket dispensers could be better used making
improvements downtown, she added.
Kalo Donair owner Tina Tsiandos said she's gotten over $2,000 in parking tickets because she can't always get away from her business to move her car.
However, she said, when closing up at night she doesn't want to have to walk a long distance to a pay parking lot.
"I deal with some pretty rough characters down here," she said. "Even one designated spot, so the owner or a staff person can park would be good."
Tsiandos said pay parking will discourage businesses and shoppers from coming downtown.
Justin Welygan said the two-hour time limit is a hassle for downtown workers.
"We don't have any staff parking for this building. I have to move my car every two hours, but you can't always get away," he said. "It just sucks for us who work downtown."
Downtown shopper Carol Romanko said if the city is going to charge for parking, that money should go into improving downtown.
"They haven't done anything to make it more inviting," she said. "Not paying for parking is an incentive to come downtown."
Romanko said having meters or parking ticket dispensers would make her less inclined to come downtown.
However, not everyone was opposed to the change. Downtown resident Janine North said the move will make little difference for her.
"The great thing about living downtown is you can walk everywhere," North said. "We find the convenience of living downtown outweighs the concerns like that."
A survey conducted by the city on parking downtown received a total of 35 responses. Of those, 20 were somewhat or strongly in favour of free parking -even if it is difficult to find.
According to the survey, 24 of the 35 respondents agreed or strongly agreed that free parking was essential to downtown. However, 15 of 35 agreed they were willing to pay for convenient on-street parking.
