University Star

Residents may be nickeled-and-dimed to park downtown if the city decides to reinstall parking meters.

The availability of downtown parking has received some recent attention. Concho Commons, a three-story, 1.7-acre complex, is planned for construction at the corner of Concho Street and LBJ Drive. The commercial property is about 70 spaces short of the city’s land development code requirements.

“There is some discussion about having parking meters at some point in the future to try to create some capacity of value (for parking spaces downtown),” said City Councilmember Kim Porterfield, Place 1.

Matthew Lewis, assistant director of Development Services, said city officials will look closely at having more on-street parking to ease downtown congestion in the Jan. 28 issue of The University Star. He said installing meters for all on-street parking would be considered as it could “generate quite a bit of money.”

Some city officials do not believe there is a parking problem downtown.

Melissa Millecam, communication director for the city, said there are no specific plans, but a number of options are being considered.

The consideration for parking meters in downtown is not the first time City Council has visited the idea.

Kyle Maysel, chair of the downtown parking advisory board, said the city had meters in place downtown until around 1990.

Kelly Franks, director for the Main Street Program, said the meters were removed because they were so old repairs were no longer possible. She said the police department told downtown businesses they needed to either be replaced or removed. The business community surveyed customers, and the results displayed feelings of being penalized for shopping downtown because of the additional cost of parking.

Millecam said there is now timed parking instead of meters. Blocks have a two-hour limit, others have a one-hour limit and there are experimental 15-minute parking spaces.

Chalk has replaced the machines as parking enforcers. Police officers use the chalk to mark tires of vehicles and check back later to determine if the car has stayed past its time limit. If so, a ticket is issued, Millecam said.

Rose Phillips, owner of The Hemp Store, said she liked the idea of meters because they would enforce parking time limits easier.

“(Parking meters) will keep the kids from taking advantage of business parking spots which is the main problem,” Phillips said.

Chuck Swallow, director of Development Services, said some of the other options are off-street parking, garages and parking districts.

Sara Nadeau, owner of Coffee Pot Bistro, was in favor of the meters being installed. She said they would generate income for needed parking improvements, and the best solution would be a parking garage.

“I think it’s always going to be a problem unless they start building up,” Nadeau said.

Phillips had a similar opinion.

“The first thing I think they should do is put in the parking meters because a parking garage is going to take time,” Phillips said.

Business owners are not the only people concerned. Adam Higdon, San Marcos resident, said he is not in favor of parking meters.

“I would only come there (downtown) if I was close enough to walk,” Higdon said.

Christopher Costa, exercise and sports science sophomore, said meters would generate more money, but would most likely make residents angry without fixing the root of the parking problem.

“It’s free right now,” Costa said. “A lot of people like free things. I like free things.”

The final decision about downtown parking has not been made.

“At this point, the city is not moving forward with installing parking meters,” Porterfield said.

Phillips said she wants the city to take action.

“It’s talk,” Phillips said. “It’s a lot of talk. I don’t want to hear talk.”