FAYETTEVILLE — The kinks are still being worked out, and many questions remain, but expect paid parking to hit the Dickson Street entertainment district Aug. 16, parking officials say.
“I think where we’re getting the most questions is in the residential parking and the employee parking,” Waters said.
Employees in the area will have access to 90 percent discounted parking on streets other than Dickson and Watson streets. But these cheap rates will mean a little more paperwork for mangers. The city will issue “coupons” which essentially translates to a code that gets fed into the pay station which adjusts the parking rate. The number of coupons the city issues each business must match the business’ payroll tax report, said Sharon Waters, parking and telecommunications manager.
“There will be a limited number (of coupons) that they can buy, because there’s a limited number of spaces,” Waters told a room of mostly residents and business operators in the area, who had gathered for the first of three question-and-answer sessions with the city before the new parking program launches at the end of summer.
Residents in the district will be allowed to participate in a program which gives a free permit for each car registered at that address. That’s the easy part to understand. Residency must be proven with any number of documents to include vehicle registration, a property tax bill or a lease agreement. The permits must be renewed annually for homeowners and quarterly for renters. However, if a renter has a month-to-month lease, that residency must be verified every month, Waters said.
“What if you don’t have a lease?” someone asked.
“If there’s no lease, there’s no permit,” Waters said, adding some cases are not conventional and will be considered individually.
“There’s going to be cases where we’ll have to determine if it’s (residency verification) enough,” Waters said.
“Can a homeowner get a permit for a home he rents?” asked Ryan Epp, who operates the Pink Papaya hair salon at the end of Spring Street.
“The permit is only for who lives there,” Waters replied.
The meeting gave residents the chance to ask what-if questions. Some Waters easily put to rest, while others she admitted are still being explored.
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MEETING INFORMATION
Dickson Street Parking Meetings
When: 4 p.m. Aug. 5
Where: Room 219, City Hall, 113 W. Mountain St.
When: 4 p.m. Aug. 12
Where: Walker Room, Fayetteville Public Library, 401 W. Mountain St.