Editor's Note: We run this story from our sister paper, the Ballard News-Tribune, as an indication of how the city is pushing paid parking and residential parking zone in fast developing areas now without parking. Similar studies may be done in West Seattle.

By Allison Espiritu

The Fremont Chamber of Commerce and businesses in the area are strongly protesting the city's attempt to implement parking meters and residential parking zones.

The city's push to enforce paid parking in Fremont is still strongly opposed by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce.

Reaction to the Seattle Department of Transportation's second draft to put into effect paid parking and residential parking zones remains a dud.

"The chamber has insistently said that we do not want paid parking in Fremont and we came to vote on this," said Marko Tubic, Fremont Chamber of Commerce president. "What's been frustrating for the board is that we constantly keep hearing that 'pay stations are not off the table, you're getting pay stations.' The signage or what not never really felt like an option."

Following the city's 2001 parking study that recommended a series of "parking management techniques" to address the lack of parking in downtown Fremont, both the neighborhood and the city adopted the Fremont Parking Plan aiming to find solutions to create a better parking system.

Seattle Transportation formed a Fremont On-Street Parking Assessment plan that to Fremont's dismay included unwanted parking meters.

The plan includes a residential parking zone boundary, unrestricted areas, time limited spots, load zones, late night taxi zones, no parking zones, bus zones, evening time limit signs, and one, two and 10-hour limit pay stations.

"What we try to do with the parking program is to balance citywide transportation and sustainability with local parking meters," said Charlie Bookman of the Seattle Department of Transportation.

The city brought back a revised second draft proposal that incorporated what they'd heard in several public comment processes and what they'd learned through intensive consultations including several small group meetings with the chamber.

The second draft revision included increasing the boundary for residential parking zones, more available areas for residential parking only, changing two-hour paid parking hours to create more evening visitor parking, minimizing 10-hour paid parking for employees and minimizing one to two hour paid parking on streets where residents and customers only need a limited amount of time to park.

Even so, the chamber and residents at the presentation were still adamant about not wanting parking meters.

"One of the things we look at is the data," said Mike Estey manager of Traffic Control Programs for the department. "Where there are time limit signs, people are overstaying their limit and when we look at that it's kind of incumbent on us to then react and propose something that makes sense."

The department considers implementation of parking management changes when the use of on-street parking spaces reach 75 percent or higher, which now occurs on some blocks. There is higher user rates at lunchtime while other blocks have a 90 to 140 percent utilization rate, Rick Sheridan, transportation department spokesman, previously told the Ballard News Tribune.

However given the current economic climate adding parking meters to Fremont also worried many business owners who felt that they would have to start competing with malls and shopping centers with free parking garages or meter free parking.

The department's argument to Fremont's possible competition was the benefit meters would give customers in avoiding the hassle of parking tickets, given out more often due to their current system of free hourly parking signs.

Nevertheless business owners and residents see tickets as more of a learning tool for those overstaying their parking time.

"You learn very quickly and as soon as you get that $38 ticket you either go to a parking lot or you drive around and find a spot to avoid your next $38 ticket real quick. It's a quick learning curve," said Peter Glick, owner of Roxy's Diner.

Allison Espiritu may be reached at 783-1244 or allisone@robinsonnews.com.