GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Business owners and employees voiced their opposition Monday night to new parking fees being proposed for downtown Green Bay.
The city is looking at charging people who want to park downtown on nights and weeknights. Right now, it’s free between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
While city leaders say the revenue is needed, businesses say customers will go elsewhere.
“People don’t want to have to pay money to spend money,” said Madeline Vasiliev, an employee at The Haberdasher Limited and whose family used to own Lou’s Bootery when it was in downtown Green Bay.
Based off recommendations from a national agency that specializes in parking, Green Bay is looking at charging $2 to park in city parking ramps on nights and weekends. The first hour would be free.
Parking meters would also start collecting on nights and Saturdays.
It’s also being recommended to reinstall parking meters in the Broadway District. They were removed in the late 90s in an effort to lure people to the district.
“It would be a lot more equitable solution to have those night and weekend patrons contribute something toward the long-term maintenance of our parking system,” said Steve Grenier, Green Bay’s Public Works Director.
Grenier also points out that the city’s parking division is an independent entity. It does not benefit from any tax dollars.
Grenier says the city will need to spend more than $36 million in the next five years to replace a parking ramp, and it currently doesn’t have a revenue stream to make that happen.
Grenier tells FOX 11 parking structures typically last 50 years and the Main Street ramp will be that age in 2026.
“We are as interested as anybody in making sure businesses here thrive. We’re not going to make a recommendation that we believe is going to be detrimental.”
Grenier says Broadway businesses have also complained to him about a lack of convenient on-street parking for customers.
The city has found the employees of those businesses have been taking up those spots.
While Grenier says reinstalling parking meters could remedy the situation, On Broadway Incorporated Executive Director Brian Johnson, who is also an alderman, says businesses are overwhelmingly against the idea.
With 2 to 1 support, the city’s Improvement and Services committee voted Monday to receive and place the parking proposal on file, essentially saying the changes shouldn’t be made.
The full city council will vote on it next Tuesday.
