Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Glens Falls council hears business complaints about proposed downtown parking change
Loading...
Summary
At a public hearing on proposed changes to city code chapter 208, the council proposed increasing downtown time limits from two to three hours; downtown business owners warned the change may not solve lost all‑day parking and urged clearer signage and alternatives for employees.
The Glens Falls City Council opened a public hearing on revisions to city code chapter 208 (vehicles and traffic), including proposed changes to sections 208.25 and 208.66 and repeal of 208.75. The mayor said the downtown parking limit is proposed to increase from two to three hours to improve turnover and free up spaces for customers.
Several downtown business operators testified that they have lost long‑term parking — one speaker said the loss followed a bank drive‑through that removed leased parking, and that "as a result, the business has suffered." The witness described losing full‑day reservations and difficulty accommodating clients for multi‑hour meetings.
Business owners and commenters urged clearer signage indicating where parking is available and raised event‑related congestion (festivals, sports games) as recurring problems. One speaker said a previously underused block (Washington Street) is now filling up and cannot absorb additional demand.
Council response and enforcement: The mayor and council members said the three‑hour downtown limit is an initial, incremental step intended to improve turnover; they also stated enforcement would not be applied to outer residential areas so those spots remain available to support downtown usage. The mayor encouraged business owners to be part of the solution and noted enforcement would begin once the ordinance is adopted, but the transcript does not specify enforcement days or hours.
Concerns from employees: A downtown business operator said employees cannot reasonably be expected to park multiple blocks away, asking how the policy would facilitate workers who cannot walk several blocks; the mayor replied that the goal is to free short‑term spaces for customers and that businesses should help facilitate solutions.
Next steps: The public hearing on the parking code closed at the end of the public comment segment; the council will consider the ordinance as part of its legislative process (the transcript does not record a final adoption vote in the public portion).
