Paid parking will not be coming back to downtown St. Joseph this year.
At Monday’s regular meeting of the St. Joseph City Commission, City Manager Emily Hackworth gave an update from the latest parking subgroup discussions. She said she’s been on a listening tour with downtown business owners and city residents to learn their thoughts on the issue, and she’s going to continue speaking with them in the coming months.
With that, Hackworth said the parking subgroup has recommended to commissioners the city extend the current paid parking pause through the year and develop new updates to the program before it relaunches next spring. She added the Downtown Development Authority is making some changes.
“There will be more voices in downtown decisions,” Hackworth said. “The Downtown Development Authority is currently interviewing candidates to fill one existing vacancy while considering expanding the board further.”
After the poorly received rollout of paid parking back in May, commissioners in June suspended the program while issues with non-ADA compliant pay stations are resolved. Following the latest subgroup meetings, that pause will simply continue.
“The parking subgroup is committed to rethinking the parking program, ensuring it both addresses downtown parking and congestion issues and is implemented in a way that enhances the downtown.”
Hackworth also said the parking subgroup has recommended adding 26 new three-hour spaces to the big parking lot across from city hall. Commissioners Monday approved that recommendation, but didn’t take action on the recommendation to continue the paid parking pause. Their previous vote to suspend the program will suffice until they take some other action.
