Old Town Elk Grove Parking Could Face Limits
ELK GROVE (CBS13) - Changes could be coming to parking in Old Town Elk Grove. Right now, there is no time limit on parking spaces anywhere in Old Town Elk Grove. The city has asked local businesses for their input on possible time limits in a survey due on Friday.
"You know, I've been complaining about parking limit signs for a while now," said Kasha Arno, owner of the Old Town General Store on Elk Grove Boulevard.
She said parking on the street out front is limited and her customers often lack a convenient space to park.
"Here on the Boulevard, all of us businesses will get locked up," Arno said. "Somebody will park in the middle for hours. That locks up three spaces."
After a city-sponsored survey of parking demand in the area last fall, the Department of Public Works sent out a one-page survey to 167 business owners. In short, it asked what they think of a two-hour restriction on street parking.
"They don't need to just go off of a piece of paper that says 'yes, put two hours,' or 'no don't," Arno said. "If the city is going to really get into it and really do it, they need to look at the business, how long they've been here, what the convenience is, if it's long-term, short term."
Instead, Arno believes the city should consider the nature of each business and how long customers will likely spend in each store. And in some places, she thinks 10 min parking limit signs would be sufficient. But next door, German Palomares, General Manager of The Sign Store, said time limits won't make a big difference on Elk Grove Boulevard.
"Elk Grove is so small that I don't think we need that," he said. "You know, it's not like a touristic place where everybody comes here and spends the whole day."
Kristyn Nelson, Elk Grove Public Affairs Manager, said it's these conflicting opinions that led the city to reach out for feedback.
"This isn't a policy issue for staff to consider, we're trying to collect all of the information, share that information with the city council, invite people to come and join the conversation," she said.
Arno told CBS 13 she's happy to see steps toward change, but hopes the city reviews each business owners' feedback carefully and thoroughly.
"They just need to really come down, look at it," Arno said. "See what the best way is going to be."
The deadline to turn in the survey is Friday. The city will then sort out all of the feedback and present it to the city council for discussion.
