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Shepherd's Table urges council to adopt specialized parking permits for service providers in Silver Spring
Summary
At a public hearing on Jan. 21, Manny Hidalgo of Shepherd's Table urged the council to pass expedited Bill 29‑24 to create affordable parking permits for specialized service providers so staff can park offsite and free on‑site spaces for volunteers; Hidalgo said parking loss from trail construction has reduced available spaces and created burdens for older volunteers.
Manny Hidalgo, executive director of Shepherd's Table, told the Montgomery County Council at the Jan. 21 public hearing that expedited Bill 29‑24 would help the downtown Silver Spring nonprofit preserve volunteer access while construction reduces on‑site parking.
Hidalgo said Shepherd's Table serves thousands of people experiencing food insecurity and homelessness and provided more than 168,000 meals in 2024. He described how construction of the Metropolitan Branch Trail near the Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station removed more than half of available parking at Progress Place, leaving about 15 spaces for a building with roughly 50 staff and many volunteers. That loss, Hidalgo said, forced staff and volunteers to use Parking Lot 4 on Fenton Street, which is costly and burdensome for elderly volunteers and those who serve multiple daily meal shifts.
Under the expedited bill proposed by Council President Stewart, the county would establish a parking permit rate and allow the Department of Transportation to review eligibility and administer certain permits in the Silver Spring area for specialized service providers. Hidalgo said making staff park in a nearby underused lot and reserving the remaining on‑site spots for volunteers would be a “win‑win” for Shepherd’s Table and the garage operator and would help sustain daily meal service operations.
Councilmember follow‑up clarified the proposed operational model: staff would park in the off‑site lot and volunteers would continue to use the on‑site spaces at Progress Place. The public hearing was closed; the council noted the item will go before the Transportation & Environment committee for additional review.
