Pay to park? Gainesville commissioners to discuss downtown parking at Thursday meeting

After suspending paid parking in downtown Gainesville in February 2022 amid public outcry from residents and local business owners, then-City Commissioner Harvey Ward cautioned it wasn't a dead issue.

“I want everyone to be aware that this is something we are going to take on," Ward said. "It won’t go away."

It appears that time has finally come with Gainesville city commissioners scheduled to take up the issue of paid parking during Thursday morning's general meeting.

Commissioners last visited changes to downtown parking in summer 2021 when they approved parking rate increases in high-demand areas while also reducing rates in other areas. Those changes went into effect in January 2022, however, commissioners quickly suspended them a few weeks later.

“It was very impressive, but not a good impressive,” business owner Dennis Santos told The Sun in February 2022. “The streets were just kind of empty. It really was bad for about two weeks in February."

Andrew Schaer, owner of Hear Again Records on Southeast First Street and a vocal opponent of paid parking, on Wednesday echoed a similar sentiment.

"It cut my revenue down 50% throughout that entire three-week period, and 75% on some of the days as well," he said.

Commissioners responded by directing staff to further examine downtown parking issues and, in October 2022, hired SP+, a consulting firm that specializes in parking management, to evaluate the parking needs in downtown Gainesville. According to the city's "FAQ" website on downtown parking, here are the firm's recommendations:

• Unlimited free parking does not create turnover of parking spaces. Lack of parking turnover leads to the perception that downtown parking is inadequate.

• Parking in the center of downtown should be paid and time-limited to increase turnover.

• Parking outside the core of downtown should be provided free or at a lower cost, giving drivers an incentive to find long-term parking away from the city center.

Based on the proposed changes, free parking spaces in the center of downtown would cost 50 cents per hour with a two-hour time limit on weekdays.

A city map on the proposed changes shows the most expensive spaces — 50 cents per hour — would be primarily northeast of the corner of Southwest Second Street and Main Street, including parts of Southeast First Avenue and Northeast First Street. The spots directly east of the Alachua County Administration Building would remain free with a 30-minute time limit.

Parking outside of the city center would be reduced to 25 cents per hour or free depending on location.

The city map with the proposed changes shows free parking along Southwest Fourth Avenue, Northeast First Avenue east of City Hall, and along Third Avenue from Northwest Third Street to the Thelma Boltin Center.

Those with parking permits for the Southwest Third Street garage would see their monthly cost increase from $25 to $40, and the quarterly price increase from $60 to $100. Employees of downtown would continue to pay $20 per month for a garage permit.

General parking fees for the garage would be reduced from $1 per hour to 50 cents per hour, with a maximum daily rate of $4.

Parking restrictions are currently enforced from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Under the proposed changes, parking restrictions would be enforced from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Parking on weekends and city-observed holidays would continue to be free, except in the SW Parking Garage at 105 SW Third St.

If approved, the parking modifications and outreach are expected to cost about $50,000, however, the changes are expected to generate more than $250,000 in annual revenue. City staff recommends the City Manager's Office implement the changes effective Aug. 1, while also providing an enforcement grace period of one month.

Nadia Schmaler, an employee of Feathr on North Main Street, wrote in a Feb. 28 email to commissioners that the downtown area is not the most wealthy part of town and that the businesses there depend on the patronage of west Gainesville residents.

"Folks from West Gainesville would rather patronize the businesses on their side of town with FREE parking than drive 25 minutes across town and worry about paying or having their car towed," she wrote.

Schaer, the record store owner, said parking time limits haven't been enforced for some time, and that it won't matter what the commission decides if parking continues to go unchecked.

"It really adds to a lot of the chaos downtown. A lot of congestion," he said. "As business owners what we're asking the city to do is to come up with a modification to the free time limit and actually enforce it."

Schaer, who plans to close his shop on Thursday to attend the City Commission meeting, said a petition signed by thousands against the parking plan is in the city's hands, and that a survey of 35 downtown business owners showed that all 35 are opposed to the changes.

"We know (commissioners) are willing to push it through despite the fact that the community and the business owners downtown don't want it — and that's a slap in the face," he said. "Who do they represent? Do they represent the community, or do they represent Passport Parking."

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville Florida city commission to discuss paid parking downtown