Council delays parking limit vote due to concern of Waynesborough House residents
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on August 23, 2017 3:02 PM
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Concern about parking availability for residents living at the Waynesborough House led the Goldsboro City Council Monday to delay its vote on time-limited parking along Center Street.
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Concern about parking availability for residents living at the Waynesborough House led the Goldsboro City Council Monday to delay its vote on time-limited parking along Center Street.
Concern about parking availability for residents living at the Waynesborough House led the Goldsboro City Council Monday to delay its vote on time-limited parking along Center Street.
The council planned to vote on setting two-hour parking limits for parking spaces along Center Street, from Ash to Chestnut streets, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Downtown Goldsboro Merchants Association requested the restriction to free up spaces for people visiting downtown businesses.
The request was made due to concern that parking areas were being monopolized by downtown residents and employees.
"The main concern is that residents, mostly employees, are parking on Center Street," said Dustin Pike, Downtown Goldsboro Merchants Association president and downtown business owner.
A downtown parking study, completed in 2016, showed that parking challenges exist on Center Street during peak times, said Julie Metz, Goldsboro's downtown development director. The study suggested time-restricted parking as one solution, she said.
"Given the desire to create a strong downtown economic climate and support our growing downtown business environment, the city's downtown development staff is in support of the downtown merchants association request," Metz said.
Councilman Antonio Williams disagreed. Williams handed the council a petition signed by residents living at Waynesborough House, a multi-story elderly living complex on South Center Street.
"A lot of their biggest concerns are they have nurses that come in, they have people who come in and bathe them, take care of their medication, they clean their house and those individuals will have to park outside," Williams said.
"We cannot forget about the seniors that live downtown and the residents who live downtown. I think that downtown, honestly, it's not ready for two-hour parking."
Williams, who owns The Ice Storm, also on South Center Street, said some of the merchants concerned about parking availability don't have businesses along the downtown thoroughfare.
"We're talking about a few shop owners that don't even have businesses on Center Street," Williams said.
Councilman Bevan Foster also questioned the need to establish parking restrictions and the estimated value of each parking space for nearby businesses.
Pike, based on certain studies, said that one parking space located in front of a business can generate $30,000 in annual sales.
"It might, but it depends on what city that it's in," Foster said. "Right now, we don't need it. I don't see how it's going to make much of a difference. I think we should be finding other ways to combat the situation than to ticket people."
Mayor Chuck Allen recommended that the council wait two weeks to decide, after gathering more information on parking availability for Waynesborough House residents.
Allen wanted to learn more about a nearby parking lot already designated for the apartment complex.
The council agreed to wait to address the issue at a later date.