Osceola County commissioners’ recent decisions regarding the planned $15 million, 900-space  parking garage at Courthouse Square all made pretty good sense to us.

The garage, to be built behind the county administration building, is the first part of a master plan that eventually will include a new county administration building, expansion of the court system into the current county administration building and another parking garage.

The decision to delay development of commercial space within the first floor of the parking structure until the economy improves was a good one, and made for the right reason: the possible negative impact (competition) on existing businesses in downtown Kissimmee.

The decision to put in the utilities in the parking structure to allow development of this space for retail or office use in the future also was a prudent move, as was agreeing to build a business-type facade for the area of the garage along Emmett Street.

We also agree that not charging for parking in the garage once it is built  is the right thing to do, given the slow pace of the economic recovery. However, once the demand for  garage parking exceeds supply, the county needs to consider charging for the convenience of parking there as a way to help defray garage maintenance and operating costs. The county also will need to consider charging for surface parking as well at some time.

County administrative and court employees should get to park free but it probably should be in surface parking areas, reserving the more-convenient parking garage for paying customers. However, the county/court system at least needs to provide free parking to jurors somewhere because their service is required by law.

Charging for parking at the Courthouse Square complex would likely shift a significant  number of vehicles to free areas farther away, which is why the city will eventually have to consider parking control measures.

We also commend commissioners for continuing to explore the feasibility of including solar panels atop the parking structure as a way to generate electricity for the building’s internal use. That certainly is green thinking and could one day provide income for the county.

We also agree that the county using the commercial space in the garage for a county employee clinic or other county office would be appropriate.