It’s highly unlikely that we as downtown residents, our visiting friends and tourists will have to put up with unsightly parking meters. However, based on discussions by the City Commission and City Staff, it is highly likely that we will be paying for parking in some of the prime areas that are free today. With the Palm Avenue Parking Garage moving along and an opening date of early December, the City is anxious to encourage people to think about parking in the garage as a first option rather than on the street.
At the City Commission meeting of October 4, a Request For Proposal (RFP) process was discussed that might obligate up to $500,000 for a system of paid parking using Multi-Station Meters located to exact payment from the use of approximately 620 downtown spaces.
In the past the DSCA, at the request of its association members, has expressed grave concern for moving forward with paid parking in downtown at the same time that the DSCA is enthusiastically trying to support increased vibrancy and intensifying the attractiveness of the commercial district downtown during a very weak and struggling economy. Let Peter Fanning, President of the DSCA, know how you feel about this effort by going to this Website’s Contact Page and sending him an e-mail.
