Lost due to cost (PARKING PENTICTON)

By John MoorhouseWednesday, February 7, 2007 http://www.pentictonherald.ca/article_3002.php

Excessive parking meter rates and over-extended parking enforcement hours are scaring away downtown shoppers, claim many downtown Penticton merchants.A 71-name petition from downtown business owners was presented to city council Monday night. The petitioners, from the 200, 300 and 400 blocks of Main Street, want to see parking rates reduced to 50 cents an hour and ticket dispensers removed from the 300 and 400 block parking lots. They also want to see limited monthly parking rentals returned to city-owned lots.Pam Stevenson, owner of The Book Shop at 242 Main St., said Tuesday the city's decision in 2004 to increase parking rates to a dollar an hour has had a devastating effect on downtown retailers.

Stevenson urged council members to drive by any of the downtown parking areas and see for themselves what is happening."The lots are empty," she said. "The only lot that has cars in it is the 500-block because it's used by real estate (employees) and the 200-block because it's amply big enough and it's never a problem."Parking meter enforcement should end at 5 p.m. and no tickets should be issued on Saturdays."It just makes you angry to get a ticket on Saturday when it's unnecessary," she said. "What are they protecting? There's like six people in the street.""You're not helping traffic move along. It's just vindictive -- at least that's the way it seen by the person who gets the ticket."The city should remove the ticket dispensers for a six-month trial period, with stepped up enforcement of the two-hour limit by the city's bylaw officers, Stevenson said. Business owners will need to do their part, by keeping their staff from parking in the lots.

She claimed city revenue from the ticket dispensers in the 300-block averages to $11 an hour for a parking lot with 55 spaces, while the 400-block dispenser, with 44 spaces, only collects $4 an hour.Stevenson added with development of more residential units in the downtown core, monthly rentals in city lots will be snapped up by downtown residents.The petitioners also want the city to reduce parking ticket charges to $5 from $10."What's the point of giving a $10 ticket? This is not protecting, just alienating. That person will never park there again," she said.Jessica Sharp of Solus Massage Therapy, said parking rates and tickets are the most common complaint among her customers. After an hour-long treatment, they go out to find a parking ticket on their vehicle.Council voted unanimously to refer the matter to city staff for further review.Coun. Dan Ashton said some of the petitioners' concerns were also discussed during the recently completed downtown parking study."Our cost of parking is expensive compared to elsewhere," Ashton said. "It was always been a detriment to those (retailers) that are in the downtown core."

Coun. John Vassilaki said the parking rates were increased three years ago following complaints by many downtown merchants that downtown parking spaces were often filled by non-shoppers."We went along with what the merchants wanted," Vassilaki said. "I've got no problem changing it, if that's what they want."The City of Kelowna charges 50 cents an hour for all on-street parking meters, with parking lot rates rising to 75 cents an hour in City Park and $1 an hour for parking at the downtown marina.