CEDAR FALLS — The idea of building a downtown parking ramp is moving forward in Cedar Falls.
The City Council voted 5-2 Monday night to explore the possibility, intended to address concerns from merchants and visitors who believe there aren’t enough spots downtown.
Councilors Dave Sires and Susan deBuhr voted no.
It is not the first time that a parking ramp has been proposed in the city center. A paid public parking system would probably be required for a ramp to be viable. Ways to pay for construction and possible locations will be among the options presented to the council in the future.
“We’re talking about a significant investment, probably more than $10 million, so there’s really a number of things that policymakers are going to have to weigh before moving forward,” said City Manager Ron Gaines .
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Charging to park in the city center would ensure that people use the ramp and don’t go to the free spots. It would also fund ramp operations.
“If you were to build a ramp and charge people to park on it, why would they go there if they could park on the street for free?” said City Clerk Jacque Danielsen. “There should be some kind of logistical review of the area to determine how far you’re going to go to collect.”
Danielsen anticipates that the city council will be presented with options before the end of 2022. Any discussion about the acquisition of real estate would occur in closed session. A study would also be necessary to determine parking fees.
The request was for Parks & Rec commissioners to “work with the group to encourage the City Council to approve the city’s spending of $8 million,” an increase from the original $5.1 million.
By talking about a ramp without knowing whether the public would support paid parking, “the cart was being put before the horse,” DeBuhr said. Some business owners worry that parking fees will drive customers away.
“There’s no point in building a ramp if there’s no paid parking,” he said.
The City Council approved some paid parking spaces downtown in May 2019, but as the pandemic brought business to a standstill in early 2020, the City Council granted Community Main Street’s requests to suspend’ ls. Councilors eventually voted to remove them entirely.
The pit bull allegedly attacked a Yorkie that its owner was walking along W. 8th Street in the area of Lincoln Elementary School.
The CMS board of directors supports a parking ramp, but in a letter to the council called for a payment system “to be consistent across the district to limit confusion between consumers/customers and landlords/owners of companies”.
Sires says “multiple layers” need to be resolved to determine whether a ramp is a worthwhile investment. He said after the meeting a cheaper solution could be to create more parking at ground level.
“I think we are making some progress. We haven’t worked out exactly what we’re going to do with the parking lot in the new downtown development,” he said.
He also wants the construction of a ramp to be a “totally private” operation.
“I don’t like the mix of government and private business,” Sires said.
Finalists could be announced in early October, and a second round of interviews would follow in mid-October, according to the city.
City officials say no private developer is involved in discussions at this time. Partnerships with downtown businesses may be explored in the future.
Councilwoman Kelly Dunn said she doesn’t think there is a parking problem downtown, but wants to explore all options.
A parking study found 100 new spaces were added in the city center by 2020, 69 as a result of a partnership with Viking Pump. The State Street business allows the public to use its private lot on weekends and after 5pm during the work week.
Second Street accommodated more sites near City Hall by turning spaces aligned perpendicular to the sidewalk into diagonal slots.
Points were also added along State Street.
Photos: Annual Meskwaki Powwow
Powwow 1
Members of the Meskwaki tribe perform the friendship dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 2
Veterans are honored during the annual Meskwaki Powwow grand entrance at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 3
Meskwaki Nation hand drummers perform during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 4
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 5
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 6
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 7
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 8
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 9
Members of the Meskwaki tribe perform the friendship dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 10
Visitors watch as members of the Meskwaki tribe perform the friendship dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 11
Members of the Meskwaki Tribe perform the Swan Dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 12
Members of the Meskwaki tribe perform the friendship dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 13
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 14
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 15
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 16
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
PowWow 17
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 18
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 19
Members of the Meskwaki tribe dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 20
Members of the Meskwaki tribe perform the friendship dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 21
Members of the Meskwaki Tribe perform the Swan Dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Powwow 22
Members of the Meskwaki Tribe perform the Swan Dance during the annual Meskwaki Powwow at the Meskwaki Powwow grounds near Tama on Saturday.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
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