FAYETTEVILLE — Maintaining the Walton Arts Center’s pivotal presence on Dickson Street is paramount, and the city seems poised to ensure it.
A central linchpin to growing the Walton Arts Center is an overhaul of how parking is provided and managed in the entertainment district, say Walton Arts Center and city officials.
“One of our largest economic drivers in the Dickson Street area is the Walton Arts Center,” Don Marr, Fayetteville chief of staff, reminded the City Council on Tuesday as it took on a slate of new ordinances to transition the entertainment district to paid parking.
“Parking is the No. 1 concern for patrons coming to the Walton Arts Center,” said Jodi Beznoska, vice president of communication and marketing at the Walton Arts Center, following a presentation by the Fayetteville Parking Division to outfit the district with solar-powered parking meters, gated “pay as you stay” lots, a reservation program for Walton Arts Center patrons and a plan to provide residents in the entertainment district with free permit-controlled parking.
Better managed parking ensures patrons to shows at the performing arts center have a good experience and come back, said volunteers and board members of the Walton Arts Center.
“We’re the ones that hear the complaints about the parking,” said Mike Belmont, an arts center volunteer who often works in the lobby of the auditorium. “We can commiserate, but we can’t do anything.”
“The whole thing is going to be very much an economic thing when you get right down to it, and it’s a public relations thing.”
But setting up new parking policies, pay rates, fines and other related public policy is proving to be a monumental task. There are residents such as Juli Durrough, who want residents to have visitor passes to offer to someone dropping by for a quick visit. The only other option for her would be to notify the Fayetteville parking office in advance for a “special event” pass.
“I tend to agree with the neighborhood, and residents should have a pass or two on hand for someone who just shows up,” agreed Matthew Petty, an alderman from Ward 2, which includes the Dickson Street residential area. “Maybe it expires every quarter or something.”
The new ordinances would also address the area’s notorious towing reputation. The proposal would set towing fees for overtime parking from the private pay lots at $60. Cars parked in city-owned lots would only be ticketed for overstaying. The fine for the first overtime parking ticket is $10, according to the draft document.
Tow truck operators said the $60 rate is too cheap and could be detrimental to their business.
“That might put a lot of people out of business,” said Kelly Thomas, who operates Towing Plus, a Fayetteville wrecker service.
“If you’re forcing them to take a price cut, did you figure the amount of money the towing companies have to pay out,” she added, noting fees such as insurance and other costs of doing business.
“This is not something we’re just slinging out there to run you out of business,” said Mayor Lioneld Jordan.
The city staff will research average state and national tow rates. The towing ordinance and all the other parking policy ordinances were left on the first reading and will be taken up again at the next council meeting.
Web Watch
Parking Plan
For an online map depicting the location of parking spaces, parking rates and restrictions, go to www.nwaonline.com/faypark
A subscription to the website is not needed to view the map.