Directors ask staff to study paid parking impacts for Gallery Walk, hospitality workers and residents

Board members on March 10 asked staff to evaluate how the city’s new paid-parking program affects Gallery Walk, downtown galleries and residents, and to consider targeted exceptions for events.

Director Karen Garcia said she has heard from senior citizens and gallery owners that the program’s current paid-parking hours (which run into the evening) pose a burden for low-income and elderly attendees at the monthly Gallery Walk. Garcia suggested the board consider waiving parking fees after 5 p.m. on the first Friday of each month or similar limited accommodations.

Director Erin Holiday and other directors urged a broader look at the program’s operation and asked staff to avoid frequent on-the-fly changes. Holiday said staff should present a single, more comprehensive set of options so the board and vendors can plan. The board discussed hospitality-worker permits and resident exemptions: directors said residents have been granted free parking through the balance of the year and suggested hospitality workers might receive no-cost permits in secondary zones (not on Central Avenue) while the city collects usage data.

City staff was asked to review the vendor’s technical capability (for example, turning paid parking on and off for events), forecast revenue impacts and return to the board with recommendations rather than making frequent one-off changes.

Why it matters: Paid parking affects downtown businesses, event attendance and residents on fixed incomes; city leaders want to balance revenue and the need to support cultural events and hospitality workers.

What’s next: Staff will study possible time-based exemptions, hospitality-worker and resident permit options and technical feasibility, and return with recommendations.