HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/7/2022 Item 6a, Halls
Delgado, Adriana
From:Leslie Halls <wallis8124@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, June 3,
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Parking rate increases
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While I understand the Council’s desires to fund another parking structure and the Repertory Theater, I think this is a
terrible time to raise parking rates. One reason revenue is down is due to the pandemic, of course. Another is, there is a
lot of vacant space downtown not generating revenue. There is a general perception it is not as safe or pleasant as it
used to be, given the numbers of homeless camped out on sidewalks and benches; therefore, people aren’t shopping as
much there. If there are fewer people shopping there using the existing parking structures and street parking, is this
parking structure still needed?
I understand these are long term plans, but perhaps the paradigm has radically shifted. I don’t see the need. We have
built hotels down town that service tourists who want to spend time downtown. They don’t use the parking structures
nor the meters. Also, building more parking structures diametrically conflicts with the city’s long stated goal to make the
city more pedestrian- and bike-friendly. We have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not millions) in bike lanes
to accomplish this. I realize the bike lanes aren’t funded from the parking fund. The point is, the city has acted on its
bike-friendly goal and on its desire to promote public transportation (think new bus yard) and now wants to do just the
opposite. Can we have both? Probably, but the money is the determining factor as to which will take priority. So far it’s
the alternative transportation taking precedence.
I have heard over and over the justification that these rates (like the sales taxes) are mostly paid by tourists, not so
much locals. If this is true, perhaps a locals exemption could be programmed into the now-electronic meters, or at least
granted at the garages. Show your driver’s license with your local address when you leave the garage, and you get a
reduced rate. There is precedent for this protection of locals: in Mammoth Lakes, locals get a break on the sales tax. We
are a charter city and can do this. It would certainly appease some local residents.
If we really want to build this parking structure, perhaps we should take funds from other traffic improvements to build
it (if indeed we really will need it). The money for the proposed roundabout at California and Taft (over $2 million two
years ago) could also be reallocated, and there are probably other areas that could fund this. I understand the parking
fund is supposed to pay for this, but I do believe, in light of the alleged benefits to downtown, a case could be made to
reallocate other capital improvement funds from other funds to pay for this.
Finally, I am not convinced the Repertory Theater is a very good justification to ahead with this multi-million dollar
project. I was the chair of the Promotional Coordinating Committee in the late 1980s when proposals for a Performing
Arts Center (PAC) were being explored. There were some very vocal people who adamantly DEMANDED at public
hearings that the PAC be built downtown. The final consensus was that this was not feasible nor in the best interests of
the city. It would cost a lot to keep up, take up valuable downtown real estate, and not generate the revenue that other
uses would. When it was not in use (most of the time, unlike office or retail space), it did not draw people downtown,
just like the county buildings down town are dead zones on weekends. As a result, the PAC was sited at Cal Poly, with
the city contributing toward the cost, with the proviso that community groups had access. This agreement on access
seems to have been largely ignored since then. Perhaps instead of this structure, this proviso could be revisited.
Thank you for considering these comments. If you would like to discuss this further please feel free to contact me.
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Sincerely,
LESLIE HALLS
1359 Oceanaire Drive
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
(805) 235-9641
Wallis8124@gmail.com
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