HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/7/2022 Item 6a, Schwartz
Delgado, Adriana
From:Debi Schwartz <debi@50interviews.com>
Sent:Monday, June 6,
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Downtown Parking Rate (Increase)
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Dear SLO City Council Members,
I’m writing today to express my public comment regarding the potential raise (double) of
downtown parking fees. While I can certainly understand the need for more money to fund
the upcoming parking structure to be built, I don’t believe this is in the best interest of the
community.
With the past couple of years’ challenges for the downtown business owners, I feel that it is
much more important to not create barriers for folks to get downtown to visit these
businesses in person. I know that parking downtown for me is already a deciding factor in how
often I frequent Thursday night farmer’s market, shops, and restaurants downtown. When
given the choice to meet downtown, or elsewhere in town for dinner, I often choose
elsewhere because of the expense of parking. I am middle-income, and I know that many
others in this area are more strapped for cash that my family. I think that by raising these rates
(in particular getting rid of the first hour free in the structures) you will eliminate a lot of traffic
that would otherwise be funneling money into the small businesses of this community.
Have you thought of other means to receive the money you are seeking? I hope that you can
come up with another way to raise the funds you need.
Thank you for the opportunity to express my concern.
Best,
Deborah Schwartz
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