Fairhope consultant recommends PR campaign, enforcement pilot and a dedicated parking fund

Planning Director Hunter Simmons presented a Walker consultants downtown parking strategy during the July 27 work session, emphasizing that Fairhope’s issue is distribution and turnover rather than an absolute shortage of spaces.

Simmons told council the downtown inventory is about 2,600 spaces: "44% of those are on street, publicly available parking... Off street parking is underutilized." He summarized consultant recommendations for immediate actions (0–6 months) such as a PR/wayfinding campaign, an education period and expanding the Pine Street pilot to additional core blocks with monitoring and phased enforcement. The near‑term (6 months–2 years) recommendations include converting the on‑demand shuttle to a fixed‑route downtown circulator at peak hours and monitoring block‑level occupancy to guide regulation. Long‑term options include establishing a dedicated Parking Authority Enterprise Fund to finance additional structured parking and studying paid parking only if occupancy and demand metrics warrant it.

Council members voiced concerns about certain operational recommendations: one councilor said a strict two‑hour limit on Fairhope Avenue could frustrate visitors who stay for lunch or shopping, and others suggested designating diagonal or golf‑cart spaces in constrained locations and improving shuttle comfort (air conditioning or trolley‑style vehicles). The presentation concluded with staff offering to publish the strategy materials and return with refined implementation metrics.