Downtown merchants and residents pressed the Ironton City Council to address long‑term parking shortages in the central business district and offered several proposals to free curb space for customers.

Rich Donahue, a local resident and downtown advocate, said employees and long‑term residents are occupying curb spaces needed by businesses. "...you're getting some of the upstairs apartments being rented out to people, and they're parking on the streets substantially, all day long," Donahue said. He urged the council to consider marking angled parking, one‑way side streets and time‑limited spaces.

Council members and residents discussed prior studies of parking meters and a proposed parking deck; participants said meters were unpopular and that some lower‑cost options — 1‑ or 2‑hour limits, angled parking where feasible and one‑way conversions on narrower side streets — could be lower‑cost, immediate steps.

Council direction and next steps

At the meeting a councilmember volunteered to draft parking legislation and said they would work with downtown business owners, landlords and relevant city departments to develop a single, coordinated plan timed with the riverfront project. "I'll take on the legislation for that, but I also would like to be involved in the planning of the line and getting the lines there," the councilmember said. Council members discussed revisiting earlier parking studies and focusing first on low‑cost, "low hanging fruit" improvements.

Why it matters: Downtown parking affects customer access to businesses and will be important when the city implements the planned riverfront project, councilors said.

Limits and clarifications

No ordinance was adopted at the Dec. 12 meeting; councilors asked for stakeholder input and proposed development of a legislative package. Details such as exact markings, enforcement mechanisms and phased implementation will be decided after stakeholder meetings and possible additional studies.

Ending

Council members asked staff and downtown stakeholders to prepare proposals for a future meeting; one councilmember said he would draft an ordinance and work with colleagues and business owners to present a holistic plan.