YOUR AD HERE »

Truckee paid parking: Businesses, property owners should shoulder costs, committee says

Jason ShuehSierra Sun
Jason Shueh/Sierra Sun Truckee parking signs warn downtown motorists of the townandamp;#8217;s paid parking program and potential fines. The parking program has long been criticized for its perceived unfriendly operating system and as a deterrent to potential downtown patrons.
ALL |

TRUCKEE, Calif. andamp;#8212; After eight months of debate and discussion, a committee has decided the long-term solution to the town’s issue of paid parking is to make it free, and that the burden of managing costs should be placed primarily on businesses and property owners.According to the group’s long-term recommendation andamp;#8212; reviewed last Thursday at town council andamp;#8212; paid parking should be replaced with free time-restricted public parking, and costs can be paid though three options:andamp;#8226; a business improvement district, taxing businesses,andamp;#8226; a property-based improvement district, taxing property owners; or andamp;#8226; a downtown assessment district, also taxing property owners.Placing costs on downtown businesses and property owners would require cooperation from those entities, who are the main beneficiaries of downtown parking, the committee said. The committee also suggests the town gauge support from business and property owners.

The group further devised a list of short-term recommendations which include multiple ways to ease the current financial burden to the town by an estimated $125,000 andamp;#8212; the amount taxpayers currently subsidize.Some near-term recommendations include:andamp;#8226; terminating the Assumption Catholic Church parking lot lease on East Street, andamp;#8226; eliminating the existing increasing rate structure and replacing it with a flat fee of $1.50 per hour,andamp;#8226; eliminating $2 minimum credit card payments at parking machines,andamp;#8226; allowing free all-day employee parking in the Donner Pass Road Beacon gas station parking lot with an employee permit,andamp;#8226; relocating the all-day employee parking on Jibboom Street to the Beacon lot to provide for increased business activity on Jibboom; and/or andamp;#8226; providing additional free parking opportunities on West River, Jibboom or Church streets, as funding allows.Town council scheduled a public hearing and potential action for the week of July 17-23, and directed town staff to perform outreach with the downtown business community and residents through next week’s public workshop at town council chambers.


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.