It's been three months since the current City Council was sworn in. Nothing has changed though: a lot of talk and no action. Let's look at one of the issues that was discussed during the last campaign, parking on Moody Street
Since being sworn in, the only thing the council has done about this issue is talk about taking the vacant lot near the train station by eminent domain. Maybe their inaction is a good thing. In a city that does nothing without a survey, I wonder if anyone has surveyed people who eat on Moody Street about parking. I think if they had, they might look at some alternate solutions to the problem.
Many people I have talked to will only park by the theater or in the Crescent Street lot. Some say they don't feel safe in the other lots or feel it is too far to walk. That would seem to make a lot near Felton Street not a viable longterm solution. Also, taking that lot by eminent domain would remove it from the tax rolls and the revenue from any new development would be lost to the City.
Maybe a better solution would be to encourage high-end development at that location and earmark the new revenue to build a second level on the Crescent Street lot. This would put the additional spaces in the same proximity as most of the Moody Street businesses and not take a valuable piece of property off the tax rolls.
Another way to free up some space is for the city to work with a few of the high-end restaurants on a plan for valet parking on weekend nights. The garage on Common Street is empty at night and would be easily accessible for this purpose. The best thing is the garage is already there, so set up costs would be minimal.
Moody Street has become a destination dining area. It continues to expand. However, if we don't address the parking situation soon, the area will strangle itself with it's own success and we will have a row of vacant storefronts again.