St. Pete considers expanding resident-only parking zones amid growth concerns

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As St. Petersburg continues to add apartments, businesses and transit-oriented development, some residents say finding a parking spot is becoming increasingly difficult.

Now, city leaders are considering expanding residential permit parking zones into more neighborhoods across the city.

The proposal comes as St. Pete continues pushing for denser, more walkable development, particularly along transit routes like the SunRunner corridor.

St. Pete residential permit parking zones

The backstory:

Earlier this month, the St. Pete City Council eliminated parking minimums for new development along the SunRunner corridor. Supporters say the move encourages a more walkable lifestyle and allows developers to build around transit instead of parking requirements.

But some residents who live nearby worry that if new developments do not provide enough parking, the overflow will end up on residential streets.

"A lot of businesses are parking there," resident Jeannie Rowie said. "There are people who want to go there, there's just not a place to park."

John Potts, who lives in Historic Kenwood, raised similar concerns.

"If they put it in Kenwood, it already doesn’t have enough parking," Potts said.

Resident-only parking solutions

Dig deeper:

During that discussion, council leaders said the city has tools to address parking issues in neighborhoods.

"I understand the residents say they can’t find parking," Council Chairwoman Lisset Hanewicz said.

One of those tools could be expanding neighborhood resident-only parking areas, also known as residential permit parking zones. Not everyone is convinced permit parking is the answer.

Al Green owns Speakeasy Kava on Central Avenue and also lives in the neighborhood. He said parking is already tight for businesses, customers and residents.

Customer access concerns

What they're saying:

"It really messes up parking for everybody," Green said.

Green said the issue is that there is not enough parking on Central Avenue or First Avenue to support the number of businesses in the area.

"The big issue is that there's not enough parking on Central Ave or First Avenue to accommodate all the business that we have," Green said. "Customers have to come in, park a block or two into the neighborhood."

Permit zones impact on businesses

The other side:

Green worries restricted parking zones in nearby neighborhoods could make it harder for customers to support local businesses.

"We need the customers over there to accommodate the increased costs, the increase in rent in this city, the increased property values over here," Green said.

Public hearing scheduled

What's next:

The proposed ordinance would not immediately create new permit parking zones. Instead, it would establish a process for neighborhoods to petition the city for resident-only parking areas in the future.

The first public hearing on the proposed ordinance is scheduled for June 11.