Have you traveled into downtown Kissimmee on a popular weekend to eat, shop, or come to an event, and found parking to be at a premium?
Imagine being one of the apartment dwellers who call downtown home, and have to park blocks from the front door.
The city government is trying to help.
At last week’s City Commission meeting, city officials unveiled the start of a plan that would allow those who live – and thus need to park – downtown to purchase an annual parking pass that will allow them to park overnight in spaces normally time-limited during the day, and in city-run lots.
“We reached out to the residents there, and one said it’s really needed,” said Kissimmee Development Services Director Craig Holland.
Residents who live in upstairs apartments on Broadway, or in buildings on side streets like Dakin and Darlington avenues, would be eligible to purchase a $15 annual hangtag, that would be registered to a vehicle. It would allow them to park overnight on Broadway, its side streets and in three city parking lots: the Toho Square garage, the lot behind City Hall, and another at the corner of Dakin and Church Street.
The money raised would be used to cover minimal staff costs to run the program, Holland said.
The first version of this plan allows for one permit per residence, but like other pieces of this plan, are up for review.
“We can do two (per household), but we don’t want to take up all the parking spots in the business district with permanent tags,” Holland said. “We anticipate issuing about two dozen of these a year, and we know 10 new apartment units are coming into the former Makinson Hardware building. We also know not everyone living in an apartment has a car.”
Jeremy Lanier, who lives in a Broadway apartment, and has worked at his family’s antique store for much longer, sees the plan from angles as a resident, merchant and visitor.
“It’s an issue,” he said. “I don’t know if a pass is a solution, but I thank the city for thinking proactively.”
He said some days are easier than others, such as Friday and Saturday nights (“It’s really hard those nights”), to find a spot on Darlington Street, where he lives with his partner Christopher May, who is in favor of the plan.
“Some nights we have to park in the (Toho Square) garage, and it’s just a block away. But sometimes, like when we have a big load of groceries, we’ll put the flashers on, double park for a couple minutes to take the stuff upstairs, then go back down and park where we can.
“If everyone on Broadway can get a decal and take those spots, it could create a problem for the businesses. But, like I said, I applaud the city for its forward thinking.”
The City Commission gave support for staff to move ahead with drafting the plan.
