Gaston County public‑works staff recommend reinstating paid parking and studying a parking deck for courthouse
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Summary
Public Works Director Dan Zeen and Wilson Lemley told commissioners the South Lot near the courthouse reaches capacity each morning and proposed reinstating paid parking, modernizing enforcement, and creating a parking enterprise fund to finance a future parking deck.
Public Works Director Dan Zeen and Wilson Lemley presented a courthouse parking review to the Board of Commissioners on Oct. 28 that described constrained parking near the courthouse, a decline in paid‑parking revenue since 2022, and a multi‑stage approach to relieve shortages.
Zeen and Lemley said the courthouse is served by a South Lot with 233 spaces (171 generally open to the public, 62 reserved for employees, jurors and officers) and a lower North Lot with roughly 805 spaces. The South Lot fills early in the day, and jury events can add 100–150 additional visitors, pushing more courthouse users to the lower lot or to adjacent facilities. Staff reported total paid‑parking revenue between 2007 and 2022 of just over $1.8 million and an annual high near $192,207 while noting revenue dropped after the county limited paid parking in 2022.
Staff outlined technical and capital options. Pay‑station/parking‑access‑revenue‑control (PARC) systems were priced from roughly $123,000 (ticketed option) with other proximity/AVI or license‑plate systems starting near $127,000; monthly maintenance and service costs were estimated at $800–$1,000. Staff said a previously owned paid‑parking infrastructure had been sold and would require new capital purchase. A parking deck was presented as a longer‑term option: a two‑bay 3–5 level garage estimated between $7.4 million and $14.6 million adding roughly 118–316 spaces; a three‑bay structure was estimated between $9.0 million and $21.9 million adding 141–478 spaces.
Zeen and Lemley offered a recommended near‑term framework: reinstate paid parking (staff suggested a $2 daily minimum with a $12 daily maximum or similar structure), encourage courthouse employees to use the North Lot, modernize enforcement with a new system (one of the three technical options), and create a parking enterprise fund to accumulate revenue that could support financing a deck in the future. Staff provided a revenue example assuming 170 public spaces, 70 percent occupancy for six hours a day and 250 operating days, estimating gross annual revenue in a range of $350,000 to $450,000.
Commissioners asked for more background and cautioned about equity and aesthetics. Commissioner Scott Sheehan noted a past third‑party vendor took a large share of gross revenue and asked what percentage had been paid to the vendor; staff did not have the number at the table but the county manager’s office later described that the contractor share had historically been “significant, probably at least 50%.” Commissioner Tom Kiger and others raised concerns about seniors and residents who rely on television access rather than online services; Commissioner Fraley emphasized aesthetic impacts of a garage and asked board members to send suggestions to staff over the next 30 days.
Staff asked the board to direct them to draft a resolution to reinstate paid parking, procure modern systems, establish a parking enterprise fund, and return with parking‑deck financing options. The presentation generated detailed questions but produced no formal vote at the Oct. 28 meeting; staff will return with proposals for the board’s consideration.
