Kitchener reverses course on parking lot fee changes after residents speak up
The City of Kitchener is reversing course on some parking fees at one downtown lot after nearby condo residents spoke out against the change.
At a meeting Monday night, council agreed to reinstate free parking at the Bramm Street Yards after 5 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, as well as all day Sunday.
"We've agreed that if we took the parking fees back to where they were before Jan. 1, 2024, that should satisfy the expectations of the residents," said Ward 9 Councillor Debbie Chapman on Monday.
The same parking hours were free at the lot during the pandemic response due to funding from the province. The city, however, decided to resume parking fees in 2024.
In February, residents at the Garment Street condominium told CTV News the city went back to charging people and stated it was keeping visitors and shoppers away from the area.
“Our daughter, for instance, was having groups of friends over and they just decided instead they'll just meet at somebody else’s house,” explained Terry Sturtevant, one of the condominium residents.
She also argues the fee increase is bad for local businesses.
“If you're going to get takeout from a restaurant here where you have to pay while you go in to pick up your takeout or risk getting ticketed, or you can go a few blocks away and get takeout from a restaurant that has free parking, that's where you're going to go.”
Reaction from council
At Monday night's meeting, Ward 1 councillor Scott Davey said the city is in a surplus overall.
Parking, meanwhile, has a $1.6 million deficit.
"I think we are due for a review [to parking lot fee rules] because a lot of things are changing, both in the downtown and in the area of Grand River Hospital as well, which is really where we have a majority of our parking," explained Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. "The city can't be in the business of providing parking for the condos and residences that are getting built."
"I don’t know what’s going to come out of their review,” Chapman said Tuesday. “It could be that we still have three different schedules or it may come out that they decide to coordinate them better in a different way so people know what to expect."
What’s next
A review of the city's parking rate structure is set to take place this year and will return to council for further debate.
Sturtevant said if this results in having to pay at all downtown lots, that won’t be good for both condos and businesses.
“If the message the city wants to give people is that downtown is a good place to hang out, if everything has that friction, it's going to make it difficult,” she said. “Getting rid of evening and weekend free parking will affect all the downtown businesses and the downtown condos and stuff. So I think it will affect a much bigger group of people if that's what they decide to do.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Happy tears' of victim's sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
Cynthia Cardinal said she was 'overwhelmed' with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister, was attacked in prison. She called it 'karma.'
DEVELOPING Republican National Committee in Washington evacuated after blood vials received in package
The headquarters of the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C., was briefly evacuated on Wednesday morning after a suspicious package containing two vials of blood was delivered to the building, the police said.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Interpol says more than 1,500 stolen Canadian vehicles identified since February
Interpol says more than 200 stolen Canadian vehicles have been found each week across the globe since February.
Thunderstorms with tornado risk in some areas in Ontario, snow elsewhere in Canada
Canadians can expect a mixed bag of weather, with forecasts warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and snow in some areas across western Canada.
opinion Biden steals debate issue from Trump campaign, makes it his own
Donald Trump had spent weeks needling U.S. President Joe Biden for his refusal to commit to a debate. But Washington political columnist Eric Ham describes how in one fell swoop, Biden ingeniously stole the issue from the Trump campaign and made it his own.
'All hell broke loose': Passengers on Singapore Airlines flight describe nightmare at 37,000 feet
Passengers on a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence on Tuesday described a sudden, dramatic drop as 'all hell broke loose' on board the Boeing airliner carrying 229 passengers and crew.
3 people dead after stabbing in Plateau-Mont-Royal: Montreal police
Three people are dead after they were stabbed in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough Tuesday evening, police say.