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Sandpoint adopts downtown parking management plan; council approves pay parking, in‑lieu fee and pass structure
Summary
Council adopted a downtown parking management plan and directed staff to move toward implementation: paid hourly parking in city lots, a proposed $25,000 in‑lieu fee for required parking spaces, a tiered parking‑pass structure, and a phased rollout with further ordinance work and technology procurement.
Sandpoint city council on Wednesday adopted a downtown parking management plan that seeks to increase turnover, better match costs to users and create a revenue stream for reinvestment in parking, transit and pedestrian improvements. The resolution passed on a roll‑call vote after extended public and council discussion about rates, exemptions and map boundaries.
The plan includes three core elements: a parking‑pass program with multiple tiers (city taxpayers, Bonner County residents, downtown businesses, downtown residents and marina slipholders); paid hourly parking in most downtown city lots to encourage turnover during peak summer months; and a downtown residential approach that ties off‑street parking requirements and in‑lieu fees to unit square footage rather than bedrooms. Staff presented a recommended in‑lieu fee of $25,000 per required space; the in‑lieu concept allows developers to pay into a parking fund instead of providing on‑site parking.
City staff said the $25,000 figure was derived from local cost estimates and comparisons and that adoption of the plan triggers a follow‑up package of ordinances and procurement steps: code amendments (to Chapter 9.5 off‑street parking requirements), a request‑for‑proposals for technology to run permits and hourly payments, and a public outreach program. Staff recommended a phased rollout in 2026 to allow technology procurement and public education.
Council debate focused on several recurring topics: whether city taxpayers should be exempt from City Beach parking fees (Council President Deb Rule said she wants city taxpayers kept whole at City Beach), whether downtown resident passes should be priced higher than business employee passes, and whether the proposed expansion of the city’s parking‑exempt zone should be included (several councilors asked staff to remove or reconsider the proposed expansion before code adoption). Council also discussed enforcement, short perceived‑term free intervals (first 5–15 minutes) and using parking revenue to support public transportation and bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure.
Adoption of the plan does not itself set hourly rates or pass prices; those implementation details will return to council in ordinance form and after vendor procurement. Staff said they will present the code amendments and technology procurement documents in the coming weeks and recommended reinvesting parking revenues in the districts where they are collected to maintain public support.
