I am writing to express my concern regarding the new paid parking system at Hoffmann Properties in Avon. I understand that private property owners are entitled to profit, but to quote Virginia Wolff: “The public and private worlds are inseparably connected … the tyrannies and servilities of one are the tyrannies and servilities of the other.”
Hoffmann’s system has been described well in the Vail Daily. Basically, you have to text a number and open a screen on your smartphone to pay for your parking, which is monitored by a camera. Otherwise, you have two complimentary hours and any time beyond that is subject to an $87 “non-payment fee.” This is outlined in small font on a sign facing away from the entrance on Benchmark Road near Pazzo’s.
When I went in for dinner, I did not notice this sign in the dark and certainly did not feel I was given notice. Several weeks later, I received a parking notice: $87 for 2 hours and 11 minutes with threats of collection. By contrast, it costs $50 to park at Beaver Creek Village for a whole day. There is no rational nexus for such a fee in the heart of town, particularly as the average wage is less than $21/hour. I believe there are legal concerns which I have raised with Parking Revenue Recovery Services, the Aurora-based company that manages the fee collections. This is the same company that was recently investigated by the Attorney General and was forced to refund hundreds of erroneous violations.
Beyond concerns around PRRS’s transparency and accountability, my civic concerns are as follows: Locals and visitors, many whom have been loyal patrons of Hoffmann tenants for years, are not being properly noticed of this unconscionable fee. It is reasonable to assume that a tourist who unknowingly comes home to an $87 fee just for taking their family out for pizza will never visit this town again. Businesses have already seen longtime locals stay away, and it will only get more alienating. Bartenders, servers, and other local employees will bear the brunt of corporate greed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned about the critical importance and fragility of local businesses. To sit back and allow Hoffmann and PRRS to profit at the expense of our local community is bad public policy.
On top of these very clear economic consequences, I’m concerned about the public safety fallout as well as the impact on our community’s credit rating at a time when we are trying to promote homeownership. This shortsighted money grab is bad for the community, and we can do better. I call on local leaders or anyone with a connection to Hoffman to pick up the phone and ask for a more reasonable paid parking system — one that provides adequate transparency, accountability, and respect for our locals, our businesses, and our visitors.
Brian Thompson
Vail