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Council approves downtown paid-parking plan, limits parklets to sidewalks for now
Summary
After a presentation by planning staff and consultant ACE, council approved a downtown curb-management ordinance to implement paid parking and time limits; council also amended the separate right-of-way patio ordinance to restrict early parklet pilots to sidewalks only amid safety and parking concerns.
The City Council voted 5-1 to move forward with a downtown paid-parking program designed to increase turnover for downtown businesses. Planning staff and consultant ACE recommended a core paid zone (two-hour maximum; proposed $1.50 per hour) and a broader area with two-hour time limits but no fees. The proposed approach uses scan-to-pay QR signage and a contractor (ACE) for enforcement and data collection.
Elizabeth Triggs, planning and development officer, said the program's goals are to improve downtown turnover and help small businesses by freeing curb space for customers during peak hours. ACE representatives described plans for field-based enforcement officers who will act as "ambassadors" to educate the public while issuing citations when necessary.
Business owners who testified supported measures to reduce all-day employee parking on curbs; "Most definitely," said downtown property owner Sonny Aguilar when asked whether meters would help his businesses. Council debated employee displacement to surface lots, the availability of nearby parking garages and how enforcement will be handled.
On a companion item governing right-of-way patios and parklets, council heard safety concerns over placing dining areas in on-street parking stalls. Members voiced discomfort with converting scarce downtown parking into asphalt parklets without additional safety measures; they unanimously approved an amendment to limit early implementation to sidewalk cafes, deferring street-level parklets for later review. Staff said parklets and sidewalks that do move forward will be reviewed by fire, engineering, transportation and health departments and be required to meet insurance and indemnity requirements.
Next steps: staff will finalize ordinance language, proceed with outreach to downtown businesses and property owners, install signage and roll out a phased enforcement and education approach. The downtown paid-parking ordinance is scheduled to take effect the following February.
