Leavenworth leaders discuss steep parking-in-lieu fees, parking fund and garage funding

The meeting spent substantial time on a proposed parking fee-in-lieu and broader parking fund to pay for solutions such as a parking garage. Staff described options for calculating an in-lieu fee (per required stall, per square foot, or per-unit) and recommended that the Central Commercial District'which currently exempts many downtown developments under 10,000 square feet'be brought into the same parking requirement table as other districts.

Councilmembers repeatedly urged the fee-in-lieu per stall be set high enough to discourage developers from avoiding on-site parking entirely. One member said a fee should make developers "think, oh, boy. Should I put parking?" and suggested it should approximate the real cost to provide a stall. Staff noted garage construction is expensive and that surface lots cost less, so the precise per-stall figure affects developer choices and land use outcomes.

Members also discussed short-term measures: converting city-owned parcels to temporary surface parking, using a parking-fund balance to lease or maintain temporary lots, and paying for shuttles or contracted services to move people from remote lots to the Central Business District. Staff said the parking fund could be sufficiently flexible to support temporary lots, maintenance and transit service tied to parking operations, but emphasized the long-term goal remains a dedicated parking garage that would likely require bond financing.

Council asked staff to refine options and fee-calculation examples, and to bring data on the cost-per-stall and potential annual revenue under several fee scenarios so elected officials can set a policy that balances downtown land use with parking access.