Bill Arthur shared the concerns of his retail tenants with the Kent Parking Action Committee recently about the new paid parking program coming to downtown later this year.
Arthur, a member of the committee, also owns TransOhio Properties, which owns several buildings downtown and rents to multiple retail and commercial businesses.
"I don’t know if it’s different in other parts of the city where we’re going to be implementing these parking (stations), but I have yet to find someone who thinks it’s a good idea," Arthur said. "There’s a lot of concern out there from different tenants that this is going to be a bad thing simply because other cities our size typically don’t do this."
Patch reported in January about the new parking pay stations that are planned for downtown Kent.
The new system may or may not incorporate the parking spaces on the Main Street Bridge, but plans call for the stations to manage 262 of the 1,100 spaces that will be available downtown when PARTA's transit center and the new Kent courthouse lot open.
On-street spaces that will be managed by the pay stations are located on:
- South DePeyster Street, from Haymaker Parkway to Main Street
- Erie Street, the full length
- Water Street, from Haymaker Parkway to Columbus Street
- Main Street, from DePeyster Street to Franklin Avenue.
Arthur said at the committee's Feb. 7 meeting that some of his retail tenants fear their customers will be scared off from parking due to the cost.
Kent City Engineer Jim Bowling and Kent Community Development Department Director Bridget Susel stressed the fact that free parking will remain available downtown — it just won't be directly in front of retail stores.
"There’s this sense that this huge system is going to come into play that’s going to cover the entire downtown, and that’s not really how it’s going to operate," Susel said.
Exactly how the system will operate is yet to be determined, as the parking committee and other city administrators are talking through options for the pay stations, how to address handicapped spaces and how to identify pay spaces during winter months.
One option under review is to program the pay stations to accept tokens that businesses can buy and give to customers to pay for their parking.
Howard Boyle, chairman of the parking committee and president of Hometown Bank, said he plans to cover the cost of parking for bank customers.
"I would think the retailers intend to do the same thing," Boyle said.
How the city will enforce the paid parking is another aspect of the program that's under review.
Kent Service Director Gene Roberts said enforcement should be easier because the pay stations will transmit data to an enforcement officer about which spaces are paid for or expired.
Roberts added that the program can and will be adjusted.
The paid parking system is expected to be up and running by this fall.
"I think there’s a whole lot more detail we need to flesh out to implement this," Arthur said.
I also believe Parking Meters have the ability to breed and reproduce ....
Expecting businesses to pay parking out of their meager profits? Brilliant move (sarcasm intended). City of Kent, please don't mess this up.
I asked "C", who took a half hour from her day to humor me with all my questions, "what is to keep me from parking and going shopping and never taking a ticket or paying the station?" She said: "well, our Enforcement Agent/Officer makes sure that doesnt happen". So... there will be a need for another employee. Our current compliance officer cannot be expected to handle all this nonsense alone. re: " Gene Roberts said enforcement should be easier because the pay stations will transmit data to an enforcement officer about which spaces are paid for or expired." ok.... so what if I never take a ticket, just park and go shopping?
If people will not pay for parking and go elsewhere to do business, Mr. Arthur always has the option of selling his buildings. Welcome to the big city!
The Parking Action Committee even allows nonresidents to sit on the board. How many, if any, of the current members are not residents of The City of Kent? These people are spending tax dollars for pay stations at a cost in excess of $350,000.00.
That will be what comes next.
The city needs to think of a different way to make money or they will have vacant stores in their new city.
get a new bank that has a parking lot. I think the ONE TICKET that downtown visitors get- for parking too long or in the wrong spot- will deter most folks from returning to downtown to shop.
I am glad my lease is running out in Kent, it is becoming a nightmare for parking. And that parking deck, the be-all-end-all: Isn't that going to be a pay lot? Mr. Hawksley is painting a picture of a simple world, where people don't change their behavior when obstacles appear. His vision is one where downtown Kent is a gold-mine.