HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/7/2022 Item 6a, Maddren
Delgado, Adriana
alissa maddren <alissamaddren@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, June 6,
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Parking rate increase
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Dear SLO City Councilmembers,
I'm writing out of a deep concern that raising the parking rates in downtown SLO will negatively impact businesses and
harm the viability of our once thriving downtown.
The decision to raise rates is apparently being made in part to make up for revenue losses during the Covid crisis. The
funds are to be used to build a long-planned parking and arts complex. Sounds fabulous! But one has to ask, why even
plan for this project when few of us will be able to afford the parking fees to visit it? Why will people even come
downtown anymore when there are so few businesses left because their customers could no longer afford to visit them?
When a movie already costs $12 - $15, 2-3 hours of parking (with no free hour) will make it prohibitively expensive for
the majority of filmgoers. This would have an impact on everything from the SLO Film Fest to the weekly Farmer's
Market.
I'm sure you've noticed the plague of empty storefronts that have sprouted like weeds since the Covid shutdowns. We
are in danger of losing our downtown. And when there aren't any more fun and unique shops and restaurants, the
tourists will stop spending time and money here.
I ask you to consider the devastating long-term consequences of this plan. Please keep our downtown parking affordable
and seek funding for the arts and parking development elsewhere.
Sincerely,
Alissa Maddren
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