Ventura downtown parking to remain free for now; City Council to revisit topic in February

The downtown parking structure and other parking lots in Ventura will continue to be free — for now.

The Ventura City Council on Tuesday switched course on charging for downtown parking, citing a need for more data. The parking plan is expected to return to the council again in February, said Heather Sumagaysay, city spokesperson.

Council members said they were swayed after hearing more from the public. Councilmember Liz Campos said she received over 50 emails about the issue.

“After our last decision on this item, many people believed, because they didn’t hear everything, that paid parking was starting immediately,” Campos said. “I’m certain some of these businesses can attest revenue has gone down in the last few weeks. I’m downtown every day, and I know the number of people downtown has dropped.”

Councilmember Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios said she was not comfortable voting for paid parking with unanswered questions from businesses and their employees on how it will affect them.

The original plan, approved on Nov. 13 in a 6-1 vote, would turn many free parking spots into paid spots starting May 1. The change would affect the parking structure on Santa Clara Street and many surface lots that ring the heart of downtown along both sides of Main Street.

Councilmember Mike Johnson voted against the plan in November citing a lack of data about switching to paid parking.

On Tuesday's agenda, an agreement with city parking consultant Dixon Resources Unlimited for the expansion of paid parking downtown was in the consent calendar, which is typically reserved for noncontroversial topics that don't require discussion. Council members were set to approve a contract with the consultant not to exceed $169,000.

City staff presented more information about the parking plan after the public requested more information after the November vote, City Attorney Andy Heglund said.

Nearly 25 people spoke out against paid parking, including business owners and workers.

"I’m 100% against moving forward currently," said Sky Sunner, who runs a food truck and is set to open Happy Place Eatery in the former Jimmy's Slice location downtown. "As an employer, having 16 to 17 employees, I'm talking to them already, and they're worried."

Maria Davalos said paid parking was unfair to waiters, waitresses and dishwashers who work downtown.

"They only work part-time because they go to school. Are they going to pay for four to six hours of parking?" Davalos said in Spanish through an interpreter. "How much are they going to earn?"

Ventura currently has about 2,000 free parking spaces in the downtown area, city officials said.

If the changes were approved – some 887 free spots, including 444 free stalls at the Santa Clara Street parking structure – would be revised to paid parking. The structure already includes one floor with paid stalls.

If the rates were to go into effect, drivers would pay $1.25 per hour at seven off-street surface lots for a total of 443 spaces. Drivers would pay $1 an hour in the parking structure.

The council was told last year that money from the new parking fees is projected to bring a net revenue of about $1.45 million annually. The income would help bridge a funding deficit for the construction of a new 435-space, $31.3 million parking structure at the northeast corner of Santa Clara and Palm streets, about two blocks west of the existing parking garage.

Mayor Joe Schroeder said on Tuesday he wanted more data to return to the council, including an assessment of the current parking structure and a discussion of both free parking for a limited time and different sizes for the new structure.

Although council members changed their minds on downtown parking, the city is still moving ahead with a conceptual design for the new parking structure, said Jeff Hereford, the city's principal transportation engineer. Council members in November approved a contract for up to $227,942 with TRC Parkitects LLC for the design of the Santa Clara and Palm streets structure.

Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura downtown parking free for now; topic to be revisited