Fort Collins council hears plan to expand paid on‑street parking, with Oak‑Remington lot usage and revenue questions central to debate

City Manager Kelly opened a work session Tuesday to review a study recommending expansion of paid on‑street parking and other changes intended to better match downtown parking supply with demand and to make the Parking Services operation financially sustainable.

Deputy Director Drew Brooks, Planning, Development and Transportation, told council staff would seek an alignment check during the session and then conduct robust outreach with downtown stakeholders over the next two months ahead of implementation planning targeted for early 2026. "We're looking forward to tonight's conversation about the downtown parking system," Brooks said.

Eric Kesselberg, Parking Services director, laid out three goals: support a vibrant downtown economy, provide customer choice across modes and parking types, and create a parking system that is financially sustainable and aligned with community goals. "We want people to come to the downtown parking system," Kesselberg said, and staff recommended pricing and other tools to move long‑term parkers into underused garages and increase turnover of on‑street spaces.

Staff presented three years of occupancy snapshots from license‑plate recognition scans on 24 block faces (about 945 spaces). The spring 2025 evening sample averaged 89% occupancy across those block faces; 22 of 24 block faces met or exceeded the industry threshold (about 80%–85%) where customers perceive low availability, staff said. Parking structures, by contrast, averaged roughly 40%–50% occupied during those same observations.

Staff noted Oak‑Remington service lot (163 spaces)…