Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/7/2022 Item 6a, Galletti Delgado, Adriana From:Hannah Galletti <hmgalletti@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, June 7, To:E-mail Council Website Subject:Parking Rate Increase This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. Hello SLO City Council, I am a resident of SLO writing to respectfully voice my opposition to the proposed doubling of downtown parking fees. I understand and am in favor of the city's goal to add an additional parking structure downtown and that the revenues planned for that project were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the city needs to come up with another way to make up those revenues. The current parking fees have already negatively impacted my visitation of downtown businesses since they were significantly increased very recently. For example: I have a membership at a yoga studio located downtown, but have had to reduce the frequency of my attendance because I'm already stretching to be able to afford the membership to begin with and it costs me so much extra to park just to go to a class. At $3-$4 per class for parking, 3 classes per week = $27-$36 per month minimum just to use a membership that already costs over $100 per month. I live too far from downtown to be able to walk or use alternate transportation. If parking fees increase further, I will likely have to cancel my membership at the studio altogether because it will end up costing me too much to use it. Businesses like this one rely on monthly members to survive and plan for the future. It's also hard to imagine how the instructors at my yoga studio or folks working in retail and restaurant businesses downtown will be able to handle paying so much more to park just to go to work, especially because it's also incredibly expensive to live anywhere close to downtown SLO where one might be able to walk or use alternate transportation. As a resident of SLO, I strongly oppose another parking rate increase and I urge the council to please stop and consider the pain this proposed change would inflict upon local businesses, local residents, and local workers. I plan to make note of which city council members vote in favor of the increase and will factor that into my future voting decisions. Thank you for your time, attention, and service. -Hannah Galletti 1