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Downtown business owners urge Rochester council to preserve diagonal parking on 1st Avenue
Summary
Multiple downtown business owners and managers told the Rochester City Council during public comment that a proposed redesign of 1st Avenue (between 4th and 2nd streets) that would remove diagonal parking for bike lanes would eliminate roughly 36–40 spaces and further harm businesses already affected by construction. Speakers urged alternatives such as lower speed limits and better notice to affected residents.
Natalie Victoria, co-owner of the Tap House and Victoria’s Restaurant, told the Rochester City Council that a plan to remove diagonal parking on 1st Avenue between 4th Street and 2nd Street would eliminate “more than 40 diagonal spaces” and “create serious disruption for one of the most vibrant business corridors in Downtown Rochester.” She urged the city to reconsider and to prioritize lowering speed limits rather than removing parking.
Pascual Presa of Pascual’s Pizzeria told the council the loss of about 36 spaces would “kick you in your mouth” during a period of heavy construction and reduced foot traffic. Christine Stahl, owner-operator of the Tap House on Historic 3rd Street, and Christy Hall Mosco, a manager at Victoria’s, said downtown businesses have endured continuous construction since 2018 and that reductions in parking would further depress customer visits and hiring.
Speakers emphasized that downtown businesses rely on close-in parking both for longtime residents and for visitors to the Mayo Clinic, and said the proposed change would worsen an already fragile recovery. Dondi Hansen, a disabled veteran and resident who recently bought a condominium near Mayo Clinic, said she was not properly notified that a reserved parking spot had been canceled and urged council action to pause changes scheduled to take effect Dec. 1.
Council members acknowledged the testimony and the complex trade-offs between improving bicycle safety and preserving customer access to downtown businesses. Several council members and staff discussed alternatives—such as improved wayfinding, targeted speed-management changes, or routing bicycle facilities where they would not remove critical parking near high-demand businesses—but did not adopt a policy decision on the 1st Avenue conversion during the meeting.
The council’s formal agenda included a public-hearing schedule and several action items unrelated to the street-layout question; staff and council asked for continued engagement between transportation planners, business owners, and property owners before making final design decisions.
