Sarasota paid parking expansion remains frozen as leaders reset plans

SARASOTA, Fla - A planned expansion of paid parking in the city of Sarasota remains on hold after business owners and residents voiced opposition. 

Sarasota parking plan suspended

What we know:

The City of Sarasota had planned to expand paid parking hours, move enforcement to seven days a week, and increase fines.

However, city commissioners placed the changes on hold at the beginning of August after hearing frustration from local merchants who warned that customers would take their business elsewhere. City staff will change area signs back to reflect the previous paid parking hours and days of operation.

Commissioners allowed public comment during a workshop after no face-to-face feedback was offered during a meeting last week, where comments had to be submitted in writing. Business owners pointed out that enforcing parking into the night harms staff working late shifts and suppliers arriving early in the morning.

What they're saying:

Casey Gonzmart Sr., a board member for the St. Armand's Circle Association, voiced concern over the financial burden on small businesses.

"We have suppliers coming at 8 in the morning. We have cooks, we have people cleaning up in the morning at 8 o'clock. There’s really no need for turn over at 8 in the morning. We close currently at 9 o'clock at night. I’ve heard some comments about people being open later. Well, Friday and Saturday we are open till 10, but that late night schedule is over. To continue to enforce parking, and spending and wasting money on space and giving people citations into the middle of the night. I think that’s exaggerated and not necessary," said Gonzmart.

Other businesses agreed. 

"At the end, is this going to be a battle between parking, residents and city council or are we going to come to a conclusion and when? We are going into the season. You are asking businesses to come up and pay for this funding. What about the small coffee shops? What about the people who sell flowers? You are trying to put this on us. This is a mistake that has been done over and over and over. I think we really need to just come to an agreement and say 'hey you know what, we want to do 50 cents? Let's do 50 cents across the board.' Done, end of conclusion. We move on from it. But we can’t keep playing this back and forth. Who is going to pay? The merchants, the businesses? It’s not helping us at all," said Nicholas Di Ielsi, the manager of Cafe Amici. 

The other side:

City officials also discussed options such as raising rates from $1.50 to $2.00 an hour, but highlighted the need for a system that covers operational costs while supporting local merchants.

Commissioners also urged visitors not to take out their frustrations on city employees following several heated encounters.

Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch noted that shifts in parking strategy could help reduce visitor stress.

"If we are less ticketing, and we are more ambassadoring that will also really go a long way for people wanting to come downtown," Ahearn-Koch  said. "I think one of the things that was mentioned was this anxiousness over getting a ticket. I’m going to get a ticket, what time. Stressing about that."

Future enforcement options

What we don't know:

City officials have not finalized a long-term parking plan or determined whether rate changes will ultimately be approved. The city manager said staff will work on drafting revised proposals that could be presented after the November election.

Sarasota