Tight Squeeze
Revised: 7:25am
The Newport City Council Tuesday evening voted to launch a process which may improve parking for shoppers. The idea is to drop an earlier parking plan that required an in lieu fee on businesses that don’t have enough parking. The new plan brought forward by downtown businesses Tuesday night puts a surcharge on business licenses of downtown stores or restaurants that don’t have enough parking for businesses their size. A report from Community Development Director Derrick Tokos said the issue is more about better managing what parking there is. Signage, for instance, can better direct, say, large R/V’s with signs saying “Free R/V parking” with an arrow ot install short and long term parking signs to better match parking needs to individual store groups.
The council agreed to begin the process of public discussions about it. The council called for two public hearings at which those affected may support or object to the plan. At any point during the process if one-third or more of affected businesses object, it dies. The business license fee surcharges would apply only to properties that are zoned for commercial or industrial uses. The parking district boundary runs on both sides of Highway 101 south from Highway 20 south to the Chamber of Commerce, along southwest 9th and back up to Highway 20 behind City Hall.
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