HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-05-22 Public Comment - A. Deal - Employee Parking Program Meeting InformationFrom:Michael Veselik
To:Agenda
Cc:Mike Maas; Taylor Chambers
Subject:FW: Employee Parking Program Meeting Information
Date:Friday, August 5, 2022 2:26:07 PM
Please pass along this comment to the Commission re: Paid parking
Mike Veselik
C: 406.946.2869
From: anna@lockhornhardcider.com <anna@lockhornhardcider.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 2, 2022 3:53 PM
To: Michael Veselik <mveselik@BOZEMAN.NET>; Ellie Staley <ellie@downtownbozeman.org>
Subject: Re: Employee Parking Program Meeting Information
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Hi Michael and Ellie,
I wanted to reach out with some thoughts on the proposed downtown parking plan.
Michael, I really appreciate the effort you have taken to hear from the community and those
affected.
I am very concerned that the proposed paid parking is going to hurt Downtown Businesses as we
head into challenging financial times.
I worry that the parking study that was conducted last summer may be a snapshot of the high point
of summer tourism in Bozeman that was driven in part by a reaction to Covid where people drove to
Yellowstone and visited Montana where things were less locked down rather than taking vacation by
air or traveling overseas. I wonder if the City may be reacting to a picture that may not be an
accurate forecast of parking patterns in the near future.
For example, our number of visits to the Cider House are down 13% and 17% for June and July
compared to those months last year. I am copying in Ellie Staley to see if she has any insight to this
kind of trend from other businesses.
I believe we are beginning to see the impacts of high gas prices and the rising costs of everything
hitting households and people reacting by spending and traveling less. I am very concerned that this
will worsen as we head into the slower winter season. And I am extremely concerned that people
will opt to shop and eat elsewhere rather than pay to park downtown.
The paid parking hits downtown business twofold as they are expected to pay for employee parking
(I appreciate the options presented that offer to cover business costs here) and drives customers
elsewhere at a time when our costs are increasing, wages need to be kept high to support
employees whose costs are rising, and consumers are tightening up in response to their rising costs.
Once the meters are installed, they will need to stay in order to pay for themselves and that payback
may not look as good as your study predicts if summer 2021 was a high point.
At a minimum, perhaps a small section of the busiest central downtown blocks that are close to
existing parking garages could be used as a “phase 1” trial before investing in the installation of
meters in the entire downtown parking district.
I realize that this is somewhat out of your hands, but would appreciate you passing along to whoever
does make this decision If you are aware of any other opportunities for me to voice to the
Commission or elsewhere, please let me know.
Respectfully,
Anna
Anna Deal
LockHorn Hard Cider - Owner
anna@lockhornhardcider.com
907-244-7909