Council majority wants annual fee for nonresidents, free permits for residents
In a year or two, downtown employees and others who have avoided Palo Alto's color-zone parking regulations by parking in outlying neighborhoods may be in for a rude awakening--or a much longer walk.
The City Council has told its staff to proceed with developing a residential permit parking program for further council consideration. The vote was 7-2, with Mayor Lanie Wheeler and Council member Jean McCown opposed.
The council ordered that the program include an annual fee for all-day nonresidential parking permits, free two-hour parking for nonresidents, and free permits for neighborhood residents.
The neighborhood parking problem has grown much worse since the city began its color-zone parking system last year to prevent people from moving their cars around between two-hour spaces. It forced many employees from the downtown core to outlying neighborhoods where they can park all day for free.
Mark Nanevicz, who lives on Waverley Street a few blocks north of downtown, told the council the parking is so bad he can't even come home for lunch. And it's even worse at night because of all the new bars and restaurants.
Council member Gary Fazzino added that the city should move ahead with building a downtown parking structure and developing a shuttle system.
But Wheeler, who lived in an area in Massachusetts with residential permit parking, believes many residents would not find permit parking agreeable. "The first time you have a visitor ticketed, believe me, this program is going to look a lot less attractive than it did on paper."
--Peter Gauvin
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