FAYETTEVILLE — Residents in the Dickson Street neighborhood could expect a relative degree of leniency in the early days of a program to convert most of the Dickson Street Entertainment District to paid parking.
“When we roll this out there’s going to be a huge push to educate people,” Terry Gulley, Fayetteville transportation director, told a public meeting Thursday.
“There will be some growing pains to work through,” said Kyle Cook, a Fayetteville City Councilman representing Ward 2.
Thursday’s meeting was geared toward collecting feedback on the proposed residential permit-only parking for streets like Thompson and Locust avenues. Residential passes will be free for those who live at those addresses. It’s still not clear how often residents will have to renew the passes. The city’s idea has been to renew them every quarter. However, residents noted this would be bothersome.
“That’s too often,” said Juli Dorrough, who lives in the Dickson Street neighborhood, and recommended that permits be tied to a renter’s lease period, or longer if the home is owned. The city’s concern is that the permits should not be easily duplicated and sold.
Residents would have use of 254 street spaces, according to the draft plan. Parking on the 59 spaces on Spring Street would be “mixed-use,” meaning a residential permit would be allowed in a pay spot. The car’s driver would not have to pay for that spot.
Even if the area transitions into paid parking, a range of free evening spots would remain available. The city is not proposing charging for parking in the city-owned metered lots behind the E.J. Ball building and other areas of downtown, Gulley said. Those spaces are free after 6 p.m.
“I don’t anticipate recommending any changes in the evenings,” Gulley said of the downtown parking times. This is in response to the strong opposition to changes in downtown parking the city officials heard at another parking input session Monday.
Residents were also concerned about how to accommodate the occasional drop-in visitor. Could visitor passes be issued or sold to residents? Dorrough asked.
“That’s something that a number of cities offer,” she said.
Sharon Crosson, Fayetteville parking and telecommunications manager, said the counterfeiting and sale of free passes is a concern.
“We could offer those passes, but they would have to be at the $5 rate, because if not, they would be sold,” Crosson said.
The Dickson Street parking proposal next goes to the Fayetteville City Council.