Merchants, event organizers urge Delray Beach DDA to consider summer parking changes as events ramp up
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Summary
At the April 13 Downtown Development Authority meeting, merchants and event organizers praised recent festivals and urged the DDA to consider summer parking adjustments—such as garage fees or adjusted surface-hour policies—to help local residents and sustain downtown businesses.
Merchants and event organizers told the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority on April 13 that recent street festivals are boosting commerce but may strain parking for local residents during the summer.
Avis Benson, a merchant and DDA board member, said 25 to 30 people attended the March 18 merchant meeting, including five block-captain leaders, and asked the board to "give some thought to making our parking local friendly this summer, be it taking the parking fee at the garage or changing the hours in the surface spots." She said the block-captain program is working and urged the board to weigh residents’ access when finalizing budgets.
The request came amid multiple partner updates highlighting the economic impact of recent events. Lloyd Stanbury, who presented for the Palm Beach Reggae Music and Arts Festival, thanked the board and staff and told the DDA the inaugural festival drew a majority of attendees from outside Palm Beach County, citing Eventbrite reports that put that share above 50 percent. "Our event brought more than 50% of the attendees from outside of Palm Beach County," Stanbury said, framing the festival as a tourism benefit for Delray Beach.
Adam Baron, executive director of the Delray Beach Open, described a new downtown activation, "Love at First Sight," a window-decor contest that attracted more than 17 businesses and generated in-venue publicity during tennis events. Baron said the contest produced photo activations downtown and additional business promotions tied to the tournament, increasing visibility for participating shops.
Judy Fenney, president of the Interfaith Committee for Social Services, accepted recognition for her nonprofit and thanked the board for the honor; she highlighted the organization's work with people experiencing homelessness and those at risk of losing housing.
Why it matters: board members will soon review budgets and millage, and speakers urged that the economic benefits of events be balanced with measures to preserve resident access downtown during peak summer tourism. The meeting did not adopt new parking policy; Benson asked the board to consider changes as part of upcoming budget discussions.
The meeting also approved the day’s agenda by motion and without recorded roll-call tallies. The DDA moved next to partner and public-safety reports.
