“Institutions like these, from Disney World to Duke, have reached a rarefied tier of insight about parking: garages are so expensive to build, and drivers’ willingness to pay so low, that giving everyone’s drive-in, one-minute-walk access to your amusement park, hospital complex, university or shipyard is impossible. You cannot build your way out of a true parking shortage.” -- David Fields, a consultant at Nelson/Nygaard, a firm that helps cities address parking and other issues.
Fernandina Beach City Commissioner had completed his second survey of the exact number of parking spaces available in historic downtown Fernandina. The number is 1,880 spaces.
The survey is in preparation for a City Commission workshop to discuss the shortage of parking spaces particularly during events like Shrimpfest and Dickens on Centre. Is the problem more perception or as Fields says above people wanting a front row parking space?
"We expect parking to be immediately available, directly in front of our destination, and most important, free. This is
unique. It would be unimaginable to hold any other good or service to the same standard,” according to Paved Paradise How Parking Explains the World, author Henry Garber.
Ross is including key insights from the book for the June workshop. The City Commission will also discuss the pros and cons of constructing a parking garage.
On average, according to available data the construction cost for a parking garage can range from $15,000 to $35,000 per parking space. That means for a 250-space parking garage, the estimated price tag would be between $3.75 million and $8.75 million. As Ross likes to say "who is going to write that check?"
Here are the results of Ross' survey:
I can say that I rope off my lawn for parades, fireworks, Shrimp Fest and others. In the early years when I did allow parking, I had sprinkler system heads broken by people parking on my lawn and tire ruts in the grass at least three years. Been there, done that. Hence, I request that my lawn not be included in the 1880 count unless the city would like to install pavers in my lawn. The City should stop trying to get away from proper planning for the future. Buy the old Marlin & Barrel property on South 2nd St. with impact fess and the start setting aside monies in the future for a downtown parking garage. Do something smart.