SANDPOINT — City staff exhibited a plan that would institute fees at Sandpoint’s downtown off-street parking lots in a planning and zoning commission meeting Tuesday. 

The proposed plan would affect locations including the City Beach parking lot and the downtown parking area at Church Street and Third Avenue. No action was taken by the commission.

“The idea that parking is free at present is just not true,” said Sandpoint Community Planning and Development Director Jason Welker, who presented the proposal at the meeting. “These costs are real costs that have to be borne.” 

In the model, parkers using the City Beach, Sand Creek, Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail, Dock Street and downtown (Church and Third) lots would be charged $2-3 per hour, depending on the day and season. 

Sandpoint residents would be eligible to purchase a $10 annual pass allowing for 2-hour free parking sessions at all lots; non-city residents could purchase an identical pass for $20. 

Welker told attendees the plan is designed to drive users from off-street lots determined to be overutilized in a 2022 city study to underutilized on-street parking in the downtown area. 

Additionally, Welker said the plan would generate an estimated $300,000 annually for maintenance of parking facilities and the amenities they serve. 

“The vast majority of revenue generated from this will be paid by tourists and visitors,” Welker said. Under the existing model, Sandpoint is “diverting funds away from other really important infrastructure projects to repave parking lots that should be self-sustaining,” he added. 

About a dozen commenters voiced opinions at the meeting; many said they didn’t oppose paid parking but that they wanted to see it done effectively. Many speakers expressed a desire to see all county residents receive a free annual pass and for tourists to bear the cost burden exclusively. 

According to Welker, a federal regulation prevents Sandpoint from offering an exclusive deal to residents lower than a 50% discount of the universal rate. 

He told residents that a no-cost solution for residents would be ideal, but “the idea that we could say, if you have a 7B plate the gate opens and you get in for free, and everybody else has to pay — that's just not allowed.” 

Several commenters criticized the timing of the proposal — which comes five weeks after city staff announced a developer seeking to build near City Beach had utilized city code provisions to reduce its required parking by 40% — and alleged the parking plan was created in response to the developer’s change. 

Welker told attendees that the objective of changing off-street parking in the downtown sector to reduce demand appeared in the city’s 2021 Multimodal Transportation Master Plan and that the proposal is unrelated to the hotel development. 

He also told attendees that from his perspective, parking requirements and the infrastructure that come with them can damage historic character, lead to high maintenance costs, and in some cases, act more like a liability than an asset. 

“While it sounds good for the community, it goes against the values that we're trying to promote as a community, which is that real estate should be for people and for commercial activity, not for cars,” Welker said of parking requirements. 

Mayor Jeremy Grimm also refuted the idea of a compromise with Averill Hospitality, the developer behind the 180-room lakefront hotel that could break ground this year. 

“No favors, concessions, backroom deals or anything were given to the proposed hotel.” Grimm told attendees.   

“There's never been any idea to privatize City Beach,” he added. “That beach is sacred to the residents of Sandpoint, sacred to me.” 

City staff emphasized that the parking plan is in a preliminary stage. Any change to parking fee schedules will require Sandpoint City Council approval. 

To facilitate public engagement on the proposal, Welker said city staff will share information and receive comments at Sandpoint’s upcoming Jan. 28 sustainability commission meeting, Feb. 12 parks and recreation commission meeting, Feb. 13 pedestrian and bicycle advisory committee meeting, and likely the Feb. 19 city council meeting. 

“We are very interested in getting public input on these policies, because the purpose here is really to provide improved access,” Welker said.