43
Youngstown council to consider annual fee for parking lots, garages
YOUNGSTOWN
City council will consider legislation today to charge an annual licensing fee to the owners of downtown public parking lots and garages.
But rather than a $1-per-spot annual fee for the lots and garages as originally proposed, council will vote on a recommendation from the planning commission to change the fee structure.
The annual fees would be $25 for parking garages, $50 for lots with spots for up to 100 vehicles, and $75 for lots with space for more than 100 cars under the revised plan. In nearly all cases, this would reduce the cost to those who own the lots and garages.
The change was made after owners of parking lots and garages complained about the fee structure, said Bill D’Avignon, director of the city’s Community Development Agency and planning.
“The owners said that it didn’t seem fair to have the $1 rate,” he said. “The planning commission decided to go with a different rate. This was a reasonable compromise. It was never initiated to be a moneymaker. It was to get standards in place, and that’s still what we’re doing. “
Downtown parking lot and garage owners complained to The Vindicator, when the proposed fees first were reported in mid-July, and then at a planning commission hearing a week later.
When contacted Monday, Terry Coyne of Mary Coyne Investments, a Cleveland company that owns numerous parking lots, said, “We are happy that the city has lowered their fees, but we still don’t know why we are being taxed for something we already do voluntarily without a tax. But we are happy to see that the fees have been reduced.”
Coyne was referring to requirements in the proposal to have proper signs at downtown lots and garages.
The proposal requires lots and garages to have readable signs at entrances displaying the international parking symbol – a white letter P at least 14 inches in height on a purple circular background that is at least 22 inches in diameter – as well as signs displaying parking rates in numbers which are the same size – a minimum of 5 inches for dollar amounts and 3 inches for cents – and if there are employees working the lots, they must wear a uniform or a badge paid for by the lot or garage operator identifying them as an employee.
“It’s never been about the money, but the licensing and getting them under the proper standards,” said Mayor John A. McNally.
The area that would be impacted by this proposal is bordered on the Mahoning River on the south; South Avenue, Commerce Street to Watt Street on the east; Wood Street on the north, and Belmont Avenue on the west.
There are about 3,000 public parking spots downtown, D’Avignon said.