With more vehicles than parking spaces in downtown Glenwood Springs residential neighborhoods, City Council may seek to mitigate the ongoing dilemma via $50 parking permits to residents of the downtown area.
While no official decision has been made at this time, councilors in a 5-1 vote late Thursday night did support a rough draft of the proposal, to be considered at a future date.
“I don’t think people are going to be happy about this. We are not trying to sell it that way,” Glenwood Springs City Manager Debra Figueroa explained before council. “But, we do need to start making changes to downtown parking, without a doubt.”
According to the draft document, residents along the downtown portions of Blake, Colorado, Cooper, Grand and Pitkin Avenue could apply for a $50 permit. The same rules would apply for those living in the 100, 200, 300, and 400 blocks of Eighth and Ninth streets, the 200, 300, and 400 blocks of Seventh Street, and the 200 block of 10th Street.
Additionally, the draft document stipulates a maximum of two permits per residential unit.
“I feel like we are picking on the residential people downtown without giving them a good option, just because certain folks are complaining about parking in very specific areas,” Councilor Shelley Kaup said of the draft proposal put before councilors. “I’d rather do comprehensive parking.”
While Kaup was the lone ‘no’ vote as it pertained to the draft document, it wasn’t to say other councilors did not take issue with the plan.
“I appreciate Shelley’s concerns and I share those, as well,” Councilor Steve Davis said.
“A lot of the issue we’ve had in downtown residential parking with these vehicles that just don’t move, it’s because they live downtown, they work downtown, and they don’t drive their vehicles,” Davis theorized.
Permit holders would still have to comply with state law and city ordinances that limit parking on public streets to 72 hours. However, according to the draft document, “permits will only apply to exemption from the 2 hour limits for parking in the downtown zone, and will not exempt parking in short-term loading zones, no parking zones or handicap spaces.”
Still working out the details, staff will bring back to council a formal resolution for consideration, likely at its Feb. 7 meeting.
“Permits will be issued for a maximum of one year, with renewals processed by the original application standards within 30 days of expiration,” the draft document also stipulates.
Additionally, the Glenwood Springs Police Department would take on the responsibility of tracking the permits and would house and update all necessary permit information in a database.
“This will be about the fourth iteration of significant change of parking downtown that I’ve been through, and I don’t remember getting a parade thrown for any of those changes,” Glenwood Springs Police Chief Terry Wilson said of the difficult parking situation.