Plymouth Officials, Businesses Acknowledge Downtown Parking Issues

For a city the size of Plymouth, more than 900 parking spaces may seem like enough to accommodate businesses, retailers and restaurants.

But for a downtown that has bucked current negative downtown trends, and survived the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, parking continues to be an issue – one with the potential to pit restaurants and retailers against each other and challenge city officials to come up with fast, inexpensive solutions.

“I don’t think parking is holding us back,” said Tony Bruscato, the city’s director of Downtown Development. “I think it’s something we need to continue to look at, considering that we know that on some nights, it’s very difficult to find a space.”

That’s a problem many shopping districts and communities would love to have, but nonetheless, it’s still a problem, Bruscato said.

“We understand that parking is tight, and we’re looking at ways to help,” he said. “But given how municipal finances are going, it’s not easy to solve.”

For businesses – especially restaurants that wanted, but were denied, bump-out platform dining during the city’s super liquor talks earlier this year – parking is an ongoing issue that needs to be examined carefully.

“Parking is an issue for us because at certain times of the day, it’s very hard for our customers to find a space,” said Teri Allen, the owner of Dearborn Jewelers.

“For us, the ability for people to be able to park and walk through the downtown area is an important part of our business.”

20-year issue

Since the main parking deck was constructed in 1980s for Plymouth residents and visitors, parking has been an issue, said City Manager Paul Sincock.

“We’ve been looking at this a long, long time,” he said. Sincock also added that despite studies that provided solutions for the city, there are still obstacles to making the dream of additional parking a reality.

“In a word, the problem is money,” he said. “These are tough fiscal times, and all of the potential plans for additional parking are just too expensive.”

Sincock said that adding a parking space can cost $22,000 per space.

In February, when Gov. Rick Snyder , the likelihood of adding parking became even more remote.

In 2004 and 2007, several parking solutions were considered. One included adding an additional tier to the city’s central parking deck on Fleet Street. That plan would have added more than 100 new spaces – but turned out to be cost prohibitive, at anywhere from $2 to $5 million, said City Commissioner Ron Loiselle.

“That didn’t provide enough parking to justify the cost,” he said.

Other plans included adding an additional deck or surface parking in the back of the Gathering, but that would have cost $2 - $5 million.

Loiselle said that while he believes the parking issue must be addressed, adding spaces is not feasible at this time. He also said borrowing money to pay for a deck or surface lot would not be advisable due to the current fiscal environment.       

New ideas

Wes Graff, the director of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, said he thinks small ideas many could have an immediate impact on parking in the city.

“Parking has been an issue for a long time, and we hear about it at the chamber all the time,” he said. “I think there could be some options that the city has. It would be nice to have a new deck, but we need something more immediate."

Graff said inking agreements with private businesses or landlords that have large, frequently unused surface lots may ease the gridlock. He suggested the Christian Science Church, which has significant parking off Harvey Street, and the E.J. McClendon/Plymouth-Canton Schools building, also on Harvey.

Bruscato said the DDA is exploring at least one option for a parking agreement, but that there has not yet been an official conversation with the business owner as of yet.

“It’s unclear whether he will be interested at this time, but we’re exploring it,” Bruscato said.

Other ideas that are being considered include improved signage directing people to lots that may be hidden or under-utilized, such as behind the Gathering or behind the library and City Hall.

Also, Loiselle said business owners need to find new places for employees to park so that premium spaces are available for customers.

Loiselle admits that eventually, more parking will be needed.

“We’ve had a lot of growth in our downtown,” he said. “We’re going to need more spaces.”