HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/7/2023 Item 6a, Avanti SLO
Avanti SLO <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:11/7/2023 Council Meeting: 6.a PARKING PROGRAM UPDATE
This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond.
Mayor and Council Members,
The parking situation in downtown SLO is unacceptable and local businesses and residents need your help to fix it. We
desperately need the return of the first hour free in ALL parking structures to return immediately - for all visitors, not
just locals who have to apply. Parking rates also need to be reevaluated to allow our downtown core to be more
inclusive and accessible to the masses.
We are hearing comments from customers daily regarding their habits and behaviors changing because they can no
longer afford (or justify) the parking expense to visit downtown. We are seeing on social media that locals are no longer
visiting downtown SLO because of our current parking climate, and locals are the heart of small businesses and essential
to our success. We have also begun contacting previous regulars who used to visit and vacation to the area from the
valley and other neighboring cities, and have learned that they are changing their habits because the cost of visiting SLO
is becoming too expensive. We are seeing a rapid decline in familiar friendly faces and in foot traffic in general; and if
this continues, it will be the demise of our local businesses and the downtown core as a whole.
We need help, and we hope a resolution is reached quickly.
Thank you for your time,
Kristin Huebner Walker and Eliott Walker
Avanti SLO
--
Huebner Ent. Inc. DBA Avanti
796 Higuera St
San Luis Obispo, CA
1