By John Pacenti
When is a fee increase not an increase? When you are in the other dimension known as Delray Beach, silly.
Public Works Director Missie Barletto told The Coastal Star that, yes, the city’s three parking garages will no longer be free during the daytime, going to a $1.50 an hour fee beginning Oct. 1. The plan also eliminates the $5 flat fee at parking garages after 4 p.m.
The downtown garages are Old School Square, Fourth and Fifth at Atlantic, and Robert Federspiel at 22 SE First Ave.
Barletto explained that the average stay at the garages is two hours in the evening, often by casual diners. They would save $2 by not having to pay the flat fee, she said.
The real reason Barletto explained for the increase — as she did, as well, at the Aug. 19 City Commission meeting — is to address homeless people who are living out of their cars and camping out in the garages overnight. Unfortunately, she said, visitors were shying away from parking in the garages, fearing for their safety.
Commissioners were told that the increased parking fees will generate more than $1.5 million more annually for the city.
Premier parking meters on Atlantic Avenue would stay the same under the plan at $4 an hour. The city manager already directed that parking meters on downtown side streets be priced at $3 an hour, up from $2 an hour previously. Other increases will go into effect Oct. 1.
Free parking will increase to $2 an hour for the railroad lot at 30 NE Fourth Ave., the Gladiola lot at 51 SE Sixth Ave., the Village lot at 50 SE Sixth Ave., the Banker’s Row lot at 200 NE First Ave., and the Veterans Park lot at 802 NE First St. These lots will all have a four-hour limit where in the past they varied.
The seven beach parking lots on the barrier island will remain the same cost at $1.50 an hour.
Employee parking plan
Commissioners also adopted a six-month pilot program to address downtown employee parking that will allow workers to buy a $10 monthly permit to park in most city spaces.
“They can park in any available parking space in the downtown area — other than Atlantic Avenue,” Barletto said. The parking meters on Atlantic Avenue are the exception.
Barletto noted at the meeting that the previous attempts to create an employee parking program had failed.
“We offered a permit where we had a special trolley that ran at night, and the employer actually bought the parking permits and handed them out to their employees, she said. “That sold zero permits.”
To prevent abuse, the program will require verification. “They will have to renew their parking pass every month. Part of that renewal process will be a letter from a downtown employer saying that they are indeed employed,” Barletto said.
Commissioner Tom Markert expressed sympathy for restaurant and bar workers, stating he had heard repeatedly that “these are people that we have to attract to keep our restaurants and bars open and if we don’t provide them with parking spaces, they’re going to go work in the suburbs.”
However, Mayor Tom Carney remained skeptical about subsidizing parking, arguing that restaurants have the responsibility to provide parking for their employees. Markert countered that restaurants told him any parking costs “are going to be reflected in your menu prices.”
Vice Mayor Rob Long suggested a pilot program, noting, “We’re not going to know until we sort of try some version of this.”
The pilot program will run from Oct. 1 to April, with a potential three-month update given in January.
Barletto provided context on current parking use, revealing that many downtown lots are significantly underutilized. The railroad lot, for instance, has 162 spaces with only a 57% occupancy rate. The Gladiola lot has 74 spaces with just a 30% occupancy rate.
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