Sarasota parking head wants more paid parking, fee increases, worrying some businesses

Whether in practice or policy, one issue that can never just be simple is parking.

At a recent Sarasota City Commission workshop, Parking Division General Manager Broxton Harvey laid out a series of proposals designed to increase vehicle turnover and keep his department from being subsidized by the city. However, achieving those goals would also mean adding more paid parking, increasing the costs of fees and decreasing the grace period for parking in downtown garages.

Harvey says that the recommendations aren't centered on increasing parking revenue. But he also said his division has a lot of overhead with the software, vehicles, and supplies it uses to enforce parking laws. The parking division manager also clarified to the city commissioners that his department should be able to reach self-sufficiency.

“The improvements subsequently create additional revenue, but that is not the driving factor,” Harvey said. “It is about being more efficient and attempting to try to break even an enforcement aspect.”

The new parking proposals, which Harvey said he hopes the city commission will vote on soon, would aim to increase what he called “turnover” − encouraging motorists not to park in free spots all day.

City Commissioner Debbie Trice agreed at the workshop.

“I did want to remind everybody that you’ve got a balancing act,” Trice said. “Some of the limitations on the length of time that somebody can park is an effort to get turnover, so businesses can bring in additional customers and our restaurants can feed additional people.”

The parking manager wants to see Sarasota divided into different zones: One with parking spots for $1.50 an hour, one with spots for $1 an hour, one with 2-to-3-hour parking, and one with free parking.

Each zone would be designated by its proximity to attractions and retail stores. He also emphasized that of the city's more than 9,000 public parking spaces, only 10% are for pay.

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Parking policy proposals

• An increase of the citation fee by $10.

Currently, a time-restricted parking violation will cost a driver $25, and a back-in violation is $35. Harvey wants to see each fee increase $10.

“You cannot have paid parking without enforcement," Harvey told the City Commission. “The citation increase would go to support the enforcement program.”

• An increase in the fee for a driver to appeal a citation, from $7.50 to between $15 and $25.

Of the roughly 600 annual citation appeals, the city upholds about half, Harvey said. Those with an upheld citation can request a date before a magistrate to plead further their case – which Harvey said costs $125 an hour.

• All on-street parking fees would be exclusively paid by credit card.

Harvey noted to city commissioners that “only 1% of metered revenue is cash” in his presentation.

• An extension of parking enforcement to Sundays.

Parking would remain free on Sundays, but the city would enforce safety violations. Harvey told the City Commission that the proposal had “generally no negative feedback.”

• Adding 80 parking meters to the spots along Ben Franklin Drive for $1.50 an-hour.

Sarasota Vice Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch took strong issue with the proposal and argued that the city’s beaches should be accessible to the public. Ben Franklin runs parallel to Lido Beach.

“It is one of the last bastions that we have in our community where any family can go and have a free day of outdoor activity that we’re very proud to offer,” Ahearn-Koch said.

The vice mayor also said that encouraging the use of the Bay Runner for those looking to get from downtown to the beach would be inconvenient for families traveling with children and cargo.

Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert pushed back that not every beachgoer fits the stereotype of parents scrambling to haul their cooler and beach chairs while trying to keep their children in line.

Trice said her colleagues were quibbling over parking fees that may cost $10 for the day.

“How much does that family pay for car insurance every year?” Trice asked. “If you can afford car insurance, you can afford to park at the beach.”

Harvey said the new meters would be an extension of paid street parking at St. Armands. The parking division head said 386 parking spots at the Lido Beach Pavilion would remain free.

• Reducing the grace period in parking garages from two hours to one hour.

Harvey told the commissioners that according to his data, most drivers use parking garages for under two hours, which he said was not a sustainable business model to break even.

After the one-hour grace period, garage parking would be $1 an hour.

Vice Jen Ahearn-Koch said the city’s goal should be to entice drivers to use the garages as much as possible.

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Sarasota's Downtown business owners push back

Harvey said he sought input from the Downtown Sarasota Condo Association, St. Armands Circle Association and Downtown Sarasota Enrichment Association.

However, Darci Jacob, President of the Downtown Sarasota Enrichment Association, told the Herald-Tribune that she felt the city wasn’t doing enough to hear business owners' concerns.

Jacob, who owns a women’s clothing store on Main Street, said “nobody wants” Harvey’s parking proposals.

“The merchants absolutely do not want most of (Harvey’s) proposal, and it seems like he is pushing it through, no matter what,” Jacob said.

A series of surveys for downtown business owners conducted by the DSEA and obtained by the Herald-Tribune show a range of opposition to proposed parking policies that would raise fees and reduce the grace period.

Respondents to the survey said they instead discourage people from visiting downtown. Jacob echoed their sentiments and added that downtown merchants see themselves as in direct competition with the University Town Center mall – which provides free parking.

“We all feel like (the city is) trying to take business away from downtown and push it to UTC,” Jacon said.

The parking manager was supposed to attend one of her organization’s meetings to hear about concerns from downtown business owners. However, he canceled due to scheduling concerns, according to Jacob.

Sarasota spokeswoman Jan Thornburg said in a email to the Herald-Tribune that the parking department's recommendations were modified after feedback from the stakeholder groups in meetings with Harvey.

"It is important for the life blood of business centers for prime public parking spaces to turn over on a regular basis," Thornburg said. "Complimentary one hour parking in nearby public parking garages will continue."

There is currently no timetable on when the City Commission may vote on the proposed changes.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Changes proposed for downtown Sarasota paid parking, enforcement