Sandpoint staff propose paid off‑street parking, residents to get discounted passes

Sandpoint staff presented a draft parking management plan on Feb. 13 that would reintroduce paid parking at city off‑street lots and add fees at city boat launches to generate revenue for resurfacing and other maintenance.

Jason, Sandpoint parks director, told the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee the city’s 2022 parking study shows downtown off‑street lots are nearly full in peak summer hours while many on‑street stalls remain underused. "Free parking is not free. It's subsidized," Jason said, noting the city currently uses property tax dollars to maintain lots and that resurfacing projects could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The plan under discussion would apply only to off‑street city lots and would offer discounted resident passes while charging higher rates for nonresidents. In the version discussed with the committee, a Sandpoint resident annual pass would be $15 and a nonresident pass $30; Jason said some numbers have shifted in drafts and the fee schedule remains under review. The draft also proposes daily caps for nonpass holders (presented examples were $16 a day at some downtown lots and $24 a day at waterfront lots) and separate commercial passes for downtown…