Parking with a price: Downtown Ventura bringing more paid spaces in May

Starting in May, downtown Ventura will get rid of much of its free parking.

The move will mean an end to no-cost spots at the parking structure on Santa Clara Street and in many surface lots that ring the heart of downtown along both sides of Main Street.

Some 887 spots in all will be impacted, including 444 free stalls in the parking structure that rises on Santa Clara between Chestnut and California streets. The structure already includes one floor with paid stalls.

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

When the rates go into effect, drivers will pay $1.25 per hour at the off-street surface lots and $1 an hour in the parking structure. Seven surface lots with a total of 443 spaces will be impacted.

The program will create revenue that will help pay for 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. The per-stall cost equates to nearly $72,000.

City Council members approved the plan 6-1 at the Nov. 13 meeting, during which the panel reviewed the status of downtown parking and delved into the finances of building a new garage. Councilmember Mike Johnson dissented.

Funding gap

Money from the new parking fees is projected to bring net revenue of about $1.45 million annually. The income will help bridge a funding deficit for construction of the new garage, the council was told during a staff presentation that included a report from consultant Rick Williams.

The basic scenario called for financing the structure's costs over 30 years at a 5% interest rate, resulting in annual debt payments of slightly more than $2 million.

Gross revenue generated from paid parking at the new structure was forecast at nearly $1.4 million a year. When annual operating costs of roughly $310,000 were factored in along with the debt payment, the new structure's revenue, on its own, is not enough to pay for its construction, the council was told.

The net funding gap was calculated at $963,000 a year, an amount that could be covered by the parking fees that will start in May.

Alternate scenarios envisioning higher costs for the new garage — up to 20% more — were also presented. The most expensive version ran to $37.3 million, which resulted in a projected annual funding gap of $1.35 million, an amount still covered by the new parking fees.

If all goes as planned, construction of the new garage could start in 2026.

Councilmember Doug Halter voted in favor of paid parking, citing funding for restrooms, lighting and the financial success in adding meters.

Johnson, voting no, citing a lack of data about switching to paid parking. Main Street, currently closed to traffic as part of a pedestrian-friendly program known as Main Street Moves, could also reopen, giving the city 180 parking spots, he said.

Pluses, minuses

The groundwork for paid parking was laid in 2007 when councilmembers approved a downtown specific plan with a parking management program that included parking meters, said Jeff Hereford, principal transportation engineer for Ventura.

The city installed downtown parking meters in 2010 for many curbside spaces.

Revenue from the new parking fees will also go back into downtown by replacing dilapidated asphalt in parking lots, adding lighting and maintaining the current parking structure, Hereford said. Security will be added in the future, he said.

Kevin Clerici, executive director of Downtown Ventura Partners, the area’s business association, said the move will free up parking spaces close to Main Street and nearby businesses and will raise money for future public restrooms.

Jennifer Buckley, a spokesperson for the city, said there will be a grace period during which police cadets will distribute reminder decals to motorists for several weeks after the new fees kick in.

Not everyone is happy with the coming changes.

Oxnard resident Kelly Castro parked her car inside the Santa Clara Street structure last week to pick up a guitar from a nearby business.

"I think it's a bad thing," said Castro, 30, upon learning the news. "It's just always been free."

She visits Los Angeles frequently and is used to paying to park there, but not in Ventura. "I'd love to do anything to stop it," Castro said.

Luis Maldonado, 39, of Ventura, is a kitchen manager at Lure Fish House near the parking garage.

"I have employees that work six days a week," Maldonado said as he walked to his car on the fourth floor. "Can you imagine in a year how much money they're going to pay?"

The city plans to makes monthly parking passes available, although specifics hadn't been ironed out before the council's meeting.

Harbor parking, too

The council approved a contract for up to $227,942 with TRC Parkitects LLC for a conceptual design for the new parking structure. The funds were shifted from money previously designated for improvements around Mission Park. The panel requested a completed conceptual design by the first quarter of next year.

The plan for new fees and a new parking structure also requires activating the city's Parking Authority, which was established in 2019 but never made operational. The authority will be activated after the city starts to collect revenue from the new parking fees, the council was told.

Council members asked a range of questions, including whether the 5% interest rate used to calculate debt payments was realistic.

The council also requested more information on the 500-stall beachfront parking structure along Harbor Boulevard. The aging structure, built in 1972, will need to be replaced, according to city staff.

The panel's decision to expand paid parking downtown followed three prior council workshops, starting in March, that focused on parking.

You can find background reports on Ventura's downtown parking plans via the "Divisions" heading, then the "parking" link under the transportation section at cityofventura.ca.gov.

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

Gretchen Wenner is the breaking news and city editor at the Star. She can be reached at gretchen.wenner@vcstar.com.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura downtown parking: City to remove free parking spots