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Cheryl Arena of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea trades her keys for a claim ticket at the valet stand on Atlantic Avenue between Northeast First and Second avenues. Ameristar Parking Solutions runs the stand, but Delray Beach wants to manage all such stands via one contract. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Some downtown parking rates to increase; garage changes under consideration

By John Pacenti

Delray Beach commissioners like a new centralized parking and valet plan that some downtown business owners say would hurt their customers and their employees.

The proposed system would utilize the public garages and lots connected to City Hall, the library, and behind the South County courthouse, Public Works Director Missie Barletto told city commissioners at their July 8 meeting.

The plan represents a significant shift in how Delray Beach manages downtown parking, with staff promising to streamline operations, potentially reduce traffic congestion and provide a more user-friendly experience for visitors and residents alike, Barletto said.

Staff asked and received consensus from the commission to move ahead on implementing various components of the Parking and Curbside Management Master Plan. However, the public blowback from businesses was significant the following week at the commission’s July 15 meeting.

Barletto made her hour-plus July 8 presentation at the end of what would amount to six hours of public meetings for commissioners that day. It came as commissioners were exhausted and much of the public had left the meeting.

At one point, Barletto was asked by Commissioner Juli Casale about parking for workers, whether they be employed by the city or one of the restaurants that make downtown Delray Beach such a desirable destination.

Casale noted she had seen a restaurant worker running down Atlantic Avenue after apparently not being able to find a parking space. Barletto was not moved by the plight, saying maybe the workers can park on the barrier island and stop taking up spots meant for visitors.

“So what I would say to my staff is, ‘We’re all adults here. You know how to get to work on time, right? And it’s not necessarily the city’s responsibility,’” Barletto said. 

“I think everybody should pay for parking,” Mayor Tom Carney said. “It’s a user fee. People who use it should pay for it. I’m sorry, but that’s what they do everywhere else.”

Under the plan, the current fragmented valet system would be replaced with a single city-managed contract. Currently, the city has license agreements with adjacent businesses, restaurants that then contract with independent valet operators, Barletto said.

The current system, which generates $189 monthly per valet queue space for the city, would be transformed by utilizing city-owned lots. The proposal aims to address the multiple traffic challenges caused by the current system, she said.

“The majority of the valet stands are located on the south side of Atlantic Avenue, which is also where the majority of the traffic is entering the downtown area,” Barletto said.

Fees would remain consistent with the current system: $15 for the first four hours and a $10 surcharge after those four hours.

Barletto noted that because the city currently does not have a direct contractual agreement with valet operators, it is difficult to ensure compliance with rules. She said there have been reports of valet operators asking for more money than what they’re allowed to charge and using oversized signs that violate pedestrian walkway regulations. 

By managing the contract directly, the city would have a better handle on enforcing those rules, Barletto said.

Vice Mayor Rob Long supported the concept, though he also worried about parking for downtown employees. Carney said he had personally experienced the model: “I’ve used it in Coral Gables, and it worked great,” he said.

At the July 15 meeting, Siobhan Boroian, an operations executive for three stores on Atlantic Avenue, said downtown business leaders were not consulted on the parking proposal.

“How dare you rush through a decision that is going to change and affect the blueprint of our downtown Delray Beach,” she said. “Using the city of Coral Gables as a comparative model for parking is like comparing apples to oranges.”

Rachel Citren, manager for one of those stores, Periwinkle, added, “This places an unfair burden on all of the employees and penalizes them who now just have to pay just to show up to work.”

Periwinkle employees said the new system is designed to create turnover, ignoring that many customers visit Delray Beach for the day — going to the beach, shopping, dining.

Al Costello, owner of Big Al’s Steak and chair of the Downtown Development Authority, said the city is willing to throw out a working parking management system to generate revenue.

“It will dramatically affect the businesses and employees that support and create the wonderful downtown economy in our delicate ecosystem,” Costello said.

Long told the crowd that the new system is still being tweaked and staff is looking into free parking for employees. “There are going to be more conversations about this. People will have an opportunity to speak,” he said.