St. Joseph City Commissioners have approved some changes to the downtown paid parking plan for this summer after staff received feedback from local business owners.
Speaking to commissioners Monday, Development Director Kelly Ewalt said restaurant owners felt the start date of the plan would hurt their business.
“The restaurant owners expressed that early June can still feel like shoulder season in the downtown, and based on school calendars and patterns of out-of-state tourism, they noticed that peak visitor traffic typically doesn’t begin until mid-June,” Ewalt said.
So, Ewalt said staff was proposing a change in the paid parking start date from June 1 to June 12. The season will run through Labor Day.
Ewalt also proposed changing the hours of paid parking from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Commissioner Michael Sarola wondered how this will affect the revenue projected to be generated by paid parking. Ewald said that calculation hasn’t been made, and Sarola continued.
“I just start to wonder as we chip away at this program — for good reason, I think this is a good move — we start to look at what that revenue generation is, and I wonder then is the stigma of paid parking and the challenges that it will inevitably bring — which may be overcome — is it worth the revenue generation that we’re getting, and I think that question becomes more and more glaring,” Sarola said.
Previous projections were that the paid parking program this year would generate about $180,000.
Sarola said the revenue questions has always been the “wild card” in the parking discussion, and with that number continually dropping, he questioned continuing the program this year. He added he’s opposed to the paid parking, but would agree to the proposal laid out Monday simply because it’s step in the right direction for now.
Commissioner Lisa Vetne agreed with Sarola, pointing to downtown Buchanan, where businesses saw a dramatic decrease in revenue during a major infrastructure project downtown.
“I’m debating if it’s even worth it,” Vetne said. “When I go out in the community, I hear a lot about paid parking, how it’s not very popular. And then my main concern is about the construction of the Marquette and the road construction. You spoke with the Buchanan community and they had problems. They lost 20% of the business or something like that.”
Commissioner Michael Fernandez said after last year’s aborted rollout of paid parking, the city needs to gather data on the newly reworked plan.
“We have to start this program at some point, so we haven’t even started it,” Fernandez said.
Mayor Brook Thomas said the proposal should be adopted.
“I’ve said it all along, we haven’t rolled this out long enough to have any of that data, and so that’s what I’m looking forward to,” Thomas said. “So I’m almost hesitant to make any changes now, but in the name of compromise, I think it goes a long way to give a nod to some of the concerns that have been brought to our attention. So I’m inclined to prove the changes here and then see what the data shows as the summer goes on.”
Commissioner Tess Ulrey agreed.
Also speaking at the meeting was Nathaniel Bishop of Ryebelles Restaurant. He thanked city staff for engaging him and other downtown business owners on this issue, but warned paid parking will work about as well this year as it did last year, when the program was suspended early amid complaints from businesses.
“The stigma of paid parking seems to be the one thing that I know I’m very fearful of, and I talk to people every day in the restaurant and I’ve yet to hear from one person who thinks this is a good thing,” Bishop said. “So another thing that I would like to ask…what is the plan when all of these businesses potentially may come down here in the middle, third week of June and we’re telling you measurable losses, just like last year? Are you guys just going to say, ‘Well we’re just going to have to get a year of data and then reevaluate it next year?’
Jim Kramer of Schu’s echoed some of Bishop’s comments.
Commissioners voted unanimously to update the paid parking plan for this summer as proposed by staff. You can find more information right here.
