HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/7/2023 Item 6a, Quaglino
Matt Quaglino <mq@quaglino.com>
Sent:Monday, November
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Downtown parking
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Mayor and Council, I imagine parking is your current hot topic and it will be before you Tuesday. I do know it Is not a
well-received topic of just about everyone I talk to about it. I know you are busy so I will be short as I can and share what
I have heard and my opinion.
I have close friends that live at Edna Ranch, we would typically go to dinner every week at a downtown
restaurant. They can afford the parking fees, that is not the issue. With them they have taken the posi?on that
it is just to much and they have op?ons in other communi?es where parking is significantly less or free. A
rebellion of sorts.
We have quite a few downtown tenants, some are smaller hair salons, nail shops etc. Their clients are refusing
to pay the new fees, if you park on the street and you need two hours, that’s $8.00 plus just to park your car.
We have received no?ce from more than one, they will be reloca?ng outside the downtown core.
We have feedback from larger tenants that feel they can be?er serve their customer base at a loca?on outside
the downtown core where the parking is much lower or free.
I have also heard the plan is to start charging parking fees on Monterey st north to California, can imagine how
well that will go over.
Last week I had to drop off an item on Higuera st, I was no more than 5 minutes, cost me $4.50 in parking fees or
.85 each minute, seems a bit over the top.
I believe there are two fac?ons when it comes to the parking fee opposi?on. One, is the obvious, the actual cost, buy an
$8.00 coffee, add a $4.50 parking fee your coffee is now $12.50, the second is people are saying, I have had enough and I
will no longer support the downtown if that means it will cost me what they would consider a money grab, these folks
can afford it but now choose not to pay it.
Sure, we will always have our downtown and we will always have folks shopping, ea?ng, and drinking but I have to say
this may have gone to far and the results is some very upset people. In a few short years we have gone from loose
change to $4.50, to park your car.
This is going to take some ?me for people to accept this new norm and it may be in everyone’s best interest that you
take a hard look at re-thinking the program.
Thank you for your ?me serving, it is both respected and appreciated.
Ma?
Matthew Quaglino
Quaglino Enterprises, LLC.
Office: 805.543.0561 | Direct Line: 805.543.0882
810 Fiero Lane, Suite 200, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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www.quaglinoproperties.com
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