Copyright CBS News
For the first time ever, Grass Valley city leaders are considering implementing paid parking downtown. The idea is to improve parking turnover for local businesses, but there's been some pushback from residents. "We don't have any paid parking, so this will be a first for our city," said Tim Kiser, city manager. "We're not here trying to make money, we're trying to do something for our downtown businesses." City leaders say there's been discussion of paid parking in downtown for more than two decades. Aa of Wednesday, they're one step closer to making that happen. "We're looking to do kind of a paid parking program to help with enforcement and having a downtown police officer," Kiser said. The city is proposing charging people to park in the lots surrounding Mill Street, primarily Pioneer Village and the lot at South Church Street and Neal. Some downtown business owners say that since parking is currently free, many drivers are parking their cars for hours, not shopping, and taking spaces away from folks who do want to shop. "Each parking space creates revenue and possibly [keeps] my business staying alive and other businesses staying alive down here because it's tough," said Christine Larkin, owner of Cake Bakery & Cafe. Some residents from the surrounding areas think it could have the opposite effect. "I probably would just not come as often," said Nevada City resident Judy Adams. "It's a small town, and when people move here from the big cities, they try to make the small towns big cities," said Grass Valley resident Mary Miller. "They're not big cities, and then that's another extra expense for people when they want to just go downtown and pay for parking, when we've never had that before." If passed, the city says paid parking would account for roughly 20% of downtown parking spots. Rates would be $1 an hour for the first two hours and then $2 an hour after that. Generated revenue would be used to hire a downtown police liaison to oversee parking and work directly with businesses. "From a merchant standpoint, it would be lovely if customers could count on turnover in a parking lot," Larkin said. If it passes, paid parking wouldn't go into effect until early next year.
