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Board discusses downtown parking, wayfinding plan and Mill & Main parking additions
Summary
Staff told the Board downtown contains 994 parking spaces, with roughly 900 underused; the city will promote public-lot use by employees, add 17 evening spaces tied to the Mill and Main apartment project next month, and pursue wayfinding improvements funded by a $600,000 grant with a 20% match and FY2027 installation planning.
Assistant City Administrator Gina Pate reviewed Smithville’s downtown parking inventory and management strategies, telling the Board that the downtown area contains 994 parking spaces and that many spaces are underused. She said the city has encouraged business employees and contractors to use public parking lots to free on-street spaces for shoppers.
Pate said special events and ongoing construction have affected parking availability. She noted the Mill and Main Street apartment project will add 17 evening-designated spaces and that work on that improvement is expected to begin next month. The Streets Division has restriped several city lots, including the lot across from Major Lumber, behind City Hall and at Heritage Park, but full resurfacing or converting gravel lots would be costly and would require further budget discussion.
Pate also described wayfinding efforts: a broader plan completed in 2022 recommends directional signs, an LED sign near City Hall and a pedestrian kiosk. The city received a $600,000 grant with a required 20% local match to implement improvements, and engineering work with BG Consultants is timed for fiscal year 2027.
Board members asked how private residential parking is monitored during events and how visitors access off-street lots; staff said access comes from adjoining lots and that enforcement inside private lots is the property owners’ responsibility. The Board agreed that enforcing downtown timed rules would overburden police and favored better signage and markings as a more effective approach.
