Yakima Business Owners Want Mix Of Paid and Free Parking Downtown

When the Yakima City Council meets on Tuesday the council will hear from downtown business owners and a possible plan they've come up with as an alternative to downtown paid parking.

Downtown business and property owner Joe Mann says they have a plan to "fund parking lot maintenance with monthly parking permits and dedicated parking enforcement while preserving free parking for customers that visit downtown." Mann says it's a plan that mixes paid and free parking downtown rather than charging for parking in all city lots and on street parking.

Yakima City Manager Bob Harrison earlier this year put together a report that says the money from the paid parking lots downtown would help fund streets, parking lots, sidewalks and other infrastructure in the downtown area. In the report Harrison proposed paid parking in downtown lots and on street parking from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday with free parking on Sundays.

The city proposes using an app and charging stations to allow people to pay for the parking. The proposed cost is $1 per hour. Currently parking is free for 2 hours in the downtown parking lots but city officials say there's little if no enforcement.That would change if the Yakima City Council decides to change to paid parking in the city owned lots. But business owners are hoping the alternative plan will be approved by the council. Mann says maintaining the lots and infrastructure downtown is expensive and needs support. But he's says business owners want a mix of paid and free parking downtown.

Other agenda items for the June 6th regular Yakima City Council meeting include:

Proclamations for the following:JuneteenthPride monthNarcissa Whitman Chapter, NSDAR day (National Society of the Daughters of American Revolution.) The council will also have a discussion regarding a feasibility study concerning formation of a Regional Fire Authority. They'll also talk about the Aquatic Center at Martin Luther King Jr. Park design.The council is also expected to approve Amending Yakima Municipal Code Section 9.25.020 Cruising permitted - Open cruising event.

The meeting starts at 5:30 pm Tuesday at Yakima City Hall. You can watch live on zoom at Yakimawa.gov or by dialing 1-253-215-8782 or 1-971-247-1195, enter meeting ID 945 5212 5389#, participant ID # and meeting password 899882#.