City council decides against restrictions on parking
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on September 7, 2017 5:50 AM
The Goldsboro City Council decided Tuesday to not set time restrictions on downtown parking along Center Street.
Prior to its unanimous decision, several downtown business owners spoke in favor and against the change, and one resident spoke in opposition.
Councilman Bevan Foster also shared concern about the city's ability to enforce parking limits and the burden parking tickets would have created for people living on fixed incomes, especially those at the Waynesborough House, an elderly living complex.
"We're just not ready for this right now," Foster said.
The proposal, requested by the Downtown Goldsboro Merchants Association, included a two-hour time limit for all parking spaces along Center Street, from Ash to Chestnut streets, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The time restriction was changed to a three-hour limit, based on a recent assessment and feedback from the Downtown Goldsboro Merchants Association, said Julie Metz, Goldsboro downtown development director.
The DGMA requested the restriction due to concern that parking spaces were being occupied for long periods of time by downtown residents and employees of some businesses.
Percy Royal, owner of Royal's Classic Barber Shop, said his customers many times will be at the barber shop longer than two hours and the time restriction would create a problem for his clientele.
"I'm concerned about this Center Street parking," Royal said. "I don't want parking meters."
While parking meters weren't part of the proposal, the city was prepared to issue $25 tickets for anyone taking up a parking space beyond the time limit, said James Rowe, Goldsboro planning director.
April Melrose, owner of the Peach Boutique, supports time limits and said she even watched someone remove a traffic cone from the trunk of a vehicle and place it in a parking space to reserve the spot after the person drove off.
"My concern is, they are there all week," Melrose said. "I do think now is the time to get ahead of the problem before it gets any worse."
Kathy Cornelison, owner of the Carolina Pine Country Store, said she understands some customers may visit stores and the downtown area for longer than two hours. She also said there are other parking areas available, off Center Street, including side streets.
"I don't envy you at all having to make a decision on this topic," Cornelison said. "When you go to towns who have revitalized projects like we implemented, they have two-hour parking on their main center street.
"Downtown screamed for a revitalized downtown. We gave it to them, so now it's time to start implementing projects and activities like two-hour parking."