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Shawnee police are looking at ways to enforce the two-hour parking limits in downtown Shawnee in light of recent complaints, while city staff are eying options for parking to benefit both short-term visitors and the downtown merchants parking near their businesses.
Shawnee Police Chief Russell Frantz said police have received numerous complaints recently from some downtown area merchants about parking issues in areas where two hour parking signs are in place.
Frantz, who until recently hasn’t had the manpower to devote an officer to downtown parking enforcement, said police are looking at ways to begin enforcing in the future the city’s parking time limits. The city’s charter shows the fine for parking over the time limit is $5, per offense.
City Community Development and Planning Director Justin Erickson said while some businesses feel they would get better business with more on-street parking, especially on Main Street, others look at things like convenience, with those merchants wanting to park near their buildings.
“We have to balance the two,” Erickson said.
While parking time limits haven’t really been enforced, trying to get into compliance might include educating the public, Erickson said, especially concerning the city’s public parking lot. He acknowledges the city needs to improve signage downtown, including signs for those public lots.
The city has three large public lots north of Main Street and three large city lots south of Main Street, plus the on-site street parking. Of all those, 644 are on-street spaces while the city parking lots have 750 total spaces, he said. Those numbers don’t include private lots, which some businesses do own, Erickson said.
Some businesses have seen few problems with parking, but for others, it’s been a dilemma that some merchants have heard about from many of their complaining customers.
Donna Massey, owner of Suitable for Framing along Beard Street, said while she has the two-hour signs on the streets near her business, sometimes the same vehicle parked at 7 a.m. is there all day until 5 p.m., forcing her customers to park a block or two away throughout the day.
Oftentimes, she said, customers with heavy pieces of art will have to walk a block to their vehicle, while others have told her they drive by and don’t stop because they can’t park.
Several businesses, including those on Main Street and Bell Street, reported few problems for the most part, while others said the parking issues vary, depending on the day.
Shawnee police are looking at ways to enforce the two-hour parking limits in downtown Shawnee in light of recent complaints, while city staff are eying options for parking to benefit both short-term visitors and the downtown merchants parking near their businesses.
Shawnee Police Chief Russell Frantz said police have received numerous complaints recently from some downtown area merchants about parking issues in areas where two hour parking signs are in place.
Frantz, who until recently hasn’t had the manpower to devote an officer to downtown parking enforcement, said police are looking at ways to begin enforcing in the future the city’s parking time limits. The city’s charter shows the fine for parking over the time limit is $5, per offense.
City Community Development and Planning Director Justin Erickson said while some businesses feel they would get better business with more on-street parking, especially on Main Street, others look at things like convenience, with those merchants wanting to park near their buildings.
“We have to balance the two,” Erickson said.
While parking time limits haven’t really been enforced, trying to get into compliance might include educating the public, Erickson said, especially concerning the city’s public parking lot. He acknowledges the city needs to improve signage downtown, including signs for those public lots.
The city has three large public lots north of Main Street and three large city lots south of Main Street, plus the on-site street parking. Of all those, 644 are on-street spaces while the city parking lots have 750 total spaces, he said. Those numbers don’t include private lots, which some businesses do own, Erickson said.
Some businesses have seen few problems with parking, but for others, it’s been a dilemma that some merchants have heard about from many of their complaining customers.
Donna Massey, owner of Suitable for Framing along Beard Street, said while she has the two-hour signs on the streets near her business, sometimes the same vehicle parked at 7 a.m. is there all day until 5 p.m., forcing her customers to park a block or two away throughout the day.
Oftentimes, she said, customers with heavy pieces of art will have to walk a block to their vehicle, while others have told her they drive by and don’t stop because they can’t park.
Several businesses, including those on Main Street and Bell Street, reported few problems for the most part, while others said the parking issues vary, depending on the day.
Kate Blain with Batchelor’s Hallmark on Main Street said many vehicles come and go throughout the day, while at times, some drivers park vehicles near her business all day.
“There’s not many parking places,” Blain said, adding those parked there all day do cause a major problem, although she admits some days are worse than others.
Both Massey and Blain were glad to know police may be looking at ways to enforce the two-hour rule.
Typically, two-hour signs placed somewhere on a block mean the entire block is subject to the two-hour rule.
Erickson said some of the things the city likely will evaluate are options and conduct an educational campaign over the next 60 to 90 days by meeting with merchants to see how they all feel and gather any ideas they may have.
Erickson said having many people — and parkers — downtown is “a good problem to have,” although he said the parking issues may not affect those doing occasional business downtown compared to those downtown every day.
“Our job is to provide the best environment for all,” he said.
Watch for updates.
