Falcon Heights’ proposed paid parking at the state fair prompts Roseville to plan neighborhood outreach

Falcon Heights’ recent ordinance to allow paid on-street parking during the state fair and its contract with ParkMobile prompted the Roseville City Council on April 7 to ask staff to monitor impacts and begin neighborhood outreach in areas that could see overflow parking.

Jennifer Lowery, assistant public works director and city engineer (filling in for the public works director), told the council that Falcon Heights has “adopted an ordinance that allows for them to charge for parking and has put, a contract or got approval to go under contract with ParkMobile for providing, metered parking during the state fair on some streets.” She added Falcon Heights must still pass a resolution identifying specific streets and amend its fee schedule, and that the city is still working through details such as resident passes.

Why it matters: Falcon Heights’ boundary abuts Roseville neighborhoods that have seen spillover parking during the state fair. Council members and staff said uncontrolled overflow could block trash pickup, delivery and emergency access, and they flagged a need to consult neighbors before posting restrictions.

Councilman Strand, who brought the item to the agenda, said Falcon Heights’ move appears aimed at raising revenue; he also noted the growth in alternate mobility options such as pedicabs and rental scooters that can extend how far fairgoers will walk. “I really wanted us to maybe just have a conversation about the possibilities and what, if anything, we wanted to do right now,” Strand said.

A city staff member told council members Roseville already uses temporary no-parking restrictions around the fair and that those measures have evolved over roughly four to five years of trial and error. The staff member said a map in the council packet shows dashed lines for temporary no-parking zones (used during the fair) and solid yellow markings for permanent, year-round restrictions; Park & Ride locations feed much of the overflow. The staff member added the state fair pays overtime for a police officer assigned to parking enforcement during the event, which has reduced complaints.

Council discussion focused on neighborhoods east of Hamlin and areas near Roselawn and Fairview. Councilmember Grama asked how many park-and-ride lots Roseville manages; council members and staff discussed a count of park-and-rides in the city (a staff estimate in the discussion was nine). Council members raised specific operational concerns: maintaining one-sided parking to preserve trash and mail service and emergency access; whether Roseville should create paid parking of its own (several council members said they preferred to wait and monitor rather than institute paid parking this year); and coordination on permitted uses for pedicabs and rental devices that stop at jurisdictional borders.

Staff recommended proactive neighborhood outreach in places that could be affected — including Garden, Draper and streets east of Hamlin — and said staff will continue to monitor Falcon Heights’ process and report back. “We’ll take a look and we’ll keep everybody updated on kind of what we find and what our plan is as we head into the summer,” the staff member said.

No formal action was taken. City staff said they will: - Track Falcon Heights’ ordinance implementation and fee schedule decisions, including any resident-pass rules; - Begin outreach to affected neighborhoods east of Hamlin and adjacent blocks to solicit feedback on possible temporary one-sided restrictions during the fair; - Monitor parking utilization this year before recommending any Roseville-priced parking program; and - Publish information to the quarterly bulletin and the Roseville reader seeking public comment.

Council members emphasized a cautious, resident-centered approach rather than posting restrictions without prior notice. Several council members said they preferred to wait one or two years before considering Roseville-priced parking and to rely first on enforcement and coordination with the state fair’s paid officer if overflow becomes a problem.

The council asked staff to report back with findings and any recommended changes before the next fair season.