The city is answering the Downtown Orillia Management Board’s (DOMB) call to create more permit parking spots in one of its municipal lots.
In February, the DOMB wrote to the city, asking that more spots in Municipal Lot 3, at 59 Colborne St. E., be freed up for permit parking. They would be in the fenced-off area of the property that was home to Orillia’s OPP detachment before it moved to University Avenue.
During Monday’s council committee meeting, staff recommended allowing for another 88 temporary permit parking spots — 48 more than what’s available now. That can be done by using not only the fenced-off area, but also the former OPP parking lot at 66 Peter St. S.
In her report to council, transportation technologist Lisa Dobson noted “there is a consistent demand for daytime permit parking spaces in Lot 3 with a significant drop in permit purchases during the months of June, July, and August in 2020 ... likely due to the impact of the pandemic.”
The 88 new parking spots, she said, could increase the city’s parking revenue by $63,700.
They also come with a cost. Staff estimate expenses would include $12,100 per year for winter maintenance, $2,000 per year for summer maintenance, $6,500 for accessible signs and line painting, $5,000 to purchase and install “permit only” signs and $2,200 to remove the two fence lines in the lot.
Coun. Ralph Cipolla asked how plans to demolish the former OPP building would affect the additional permit parking spots.
Dobson said the lots would not be available until demolition has occurred. That is expected to happen in June.
Coun. Pat Hehn referred to the additional spots as “a great temporary option.”
She had an office on site when she was executive director of North Simcoe Victim Services and said it was an “easy walk” from that property to the downtown core.
Coun. Robert Kloostra also supported the move. At the most recent DOMB meeting, he said, “all members … were quite in (agreement) of having the extra parking spaces available.”
Coun. Ted Emond said he has heard about a possible demand for 24-hour parking because of more residential development in the area — Matchedash Lofts, in particular.
Staff considered it, Dobson said, but didn’t recommend it because of its experience with another lot.
Ten overnight parking spots were made available in Municipal Lot 1 on Colborne Street, between Peter and West streets, but only one permit was sold in the past year, “which, to me, says that there is not as much of a demand as we actually think there is,” Dobson said.
She also noted the additional permit parking spots in Lot 3 are temporary because the city plans to build a transit terminal on the former OPP property. That is expected to begin in a couple of years.
Council committee’s decision to approve the additional parking spots will be up for ratification at next week’s council meeting.