Sarasota paid parking: City suspends downtown extended hours after backlash
Sarasota reverses course on expanded paid parking hours
A parking reversal in downtown Sarasota. Just weeks after expanding paid parking hours, city commissioners are hitting the brakes. FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis reports.
SARASOTA, Fla - After weeks of criticism over expanded paid parking hours, Sarasota city leaders are reversing course.
Commissioners voted to suspend the new parking schedule Monday, acknowledging they failed to adequately involve residents, businesses and other stakeholders before making the changes.
Sarasota downtown parking schedule
What we know:
In June, Sarasota expanded on-street paid parking hours from 8 a.m. to midnight Monday-Saturday and 1 p.m. to midnight on Sundays. City leaders said the change was intended to better manage parking downtown, while allowing free parking for congregations on Sunday mornings.
But almost immediately, residents and business owners voiced concerns that the longer paid parking hours were discouraging people from visiting downtown. Vice Mayor Kathy Kelley Ohlrich acknowledged city leaders did not do enough public outreach before approving the ordinance.
"We talked to ourselves," Ohlrich said. "Clearly it wasn't the right thing."
Effective immediately, the city has reinstated its previous on-street parking schedule:
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday
- Free parking all day Sunday
Local business impact
What they're saying:
Kelly Pendleton, the assistant general manager at Duval's, said customers began commenting on the new parking rules almost as soon as they took effect. To help offset the cost, the restaurant began offering customers parking reimbursement.
She said, "Some of our guests were commenting about how it was a little bit more difficult for them to come downtown."
Residents also pushed back online, with some encouraging people to boycott downtown businesses over the parking changes. Eric Rusiski, who spoke with several downtown business owners, said he repeatedly heard concerns that the new policy was hurting customer traffic during an already slow tourism season.
Future parking program
What's next:
City leaders say the suspension is temporary while they gather more public input.
A downtown parking open house is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on August 24 at Sarasota City Hall. A city commission workshop will follow on August 31 at 9 a.m., where commissioners are expected to discuss possible long-term changes to the parking program.
To learn more about Sarasota's temporary parking schedule, click here.
The Source: This story is based on Sarasota City Commission discussions, interviews with city officials, downtown business owners and residents, and reporting by FOX 13 News.