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Panama City moves to tighten downtown parallel‑parking enforcement; business owners press for tailored solutions
Summary
City staff described recent updates to parking enforcement, two‑hour limits in entertainment districts and a prior program of warnings; downtown business owners urged exceptions, reserved spaces or leased spots and asked the city to consider time‑of‑day limits or paid parking to fund a long‑term garage.
City officials said they have updated parking enforcement and are focusing on parallel parking turnover in Downtown Panama City and the St. Andrews entertainment district, while downtown business owners and residents urged more flexible rules and solutions such as reserved or leased parking and time‑of‑day exemptions.
City staff reported that the commission revised ordinances earlier in the year to provide clearer authority for parking enforcement and that the police issued more than 300 warnings to educate drivers before full enforcement began. Staff said the change from angled or nose‑in spaces to parallel parking on Harrison Avenue reduced the number of spaces in that corridor by 28; the city is concentrating enforcement on parallel spaces to promote turnover for customers and visitors.
Several downtown business owners described operational problems that make strict two‑hour limits difficult. A retailer that sells firearms said customers and transactions can take longer than two hours and raised safety concerns about forcing staff to move goods long distances if employees cannot load near the shop. Another business owner asked whether the city could make the time limit apply only during business hours (for example, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) so residents and overnight workers are not penalized.
Officials said they are studying options including: changing two‑hour limits to three hours in some blocks; restricting time limits to specific hours of the day; adding or converting public parking lots; designating additional handicap spaces; and studying paid parking or leased/priority spaces to fund a parking garage. The Downtown Improvement Board had requested the city consider extending time limits or adjusting hours in the entertainment district.
Staff said the city will collect and review enforcement data for an initial period (staff described a 30‑ to 120‑day data‑collection window used in earlier enforcement rollouts) and consider adjustments based on that data and DIB input. Commissioners encouraged downtown business groups to participate in the DIB and work with staff on a map of regulated streets and to bring specific proposals on leased spots or reserved lots for businesses.
