HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/7/2023 Item 6a, Lowe
Bonnie Lowe <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:SLO Parking
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Hello, I have lived in slo since 1973 and want to share my opinion about the parking situation downtown. We
just returned from a road trip to Northern California and visited a few towns that are roughly comparable to
SLO-(Ukiah, Eureka and Ashland). In those towns the parking was free for an hour or so and the downtown
areas were thriving; very few empty storefronts and plenty of shopping and restaurants that were busy. I blame
the new parking policies in our town for the many closures; recently Big Sky and Mint+Craft. No one I know is
willing to pay to park after 6:00 to eat dinner downtown anymore. Also, it’s no longer easy to stop for a moment
to run in and pick up a quick coffee or treat without figuring out which parking app will work or if the meter will
accept a credit card. Going to a movie is way too expensive at $4.00 an hour to park.
The two tall hotels that were built recently have cut off the views of the mountains that drew me here to begin
with. Something has to change or our downtown will either die or become generic with only corporate retailers.
It seems the city has traded retail tax revenue for parking fees that few people can tolerate.
Thanks for letting me share my opinion.
~Bonnie Lowe
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