Business owners, residents are upset
Parking has long been a challenge for visitors to the Short North. But now the city is trying to forge a policy to quiet a growing conflict between residents and area workers.
One problem seems to be that there are too many permits for too few parking spaces.
The city had issued permits for employees to park in Italian Village, east of High Street between Hubbard and Poplar avenues.
Andy Klein, who leads the Italian Village Society’s parking and traffic committee, said the city told area leaders in November that a total of 728 permits had been issued for 186 spaces in the neighborhood.
Those included 147 permits for businesses.
“We just don’t have the parking available,” said resident Mark Fazzina.
City officials are meeting with residents and other parties to figure out a solution. But the city’s latest plan, which calls for parking changes by April 1, doesn’t sit well with business owners and the Short North Alliance, which promotes area businesses and neighborhood revitalization. The plan calls for businesses along the east side of High Street between Hubbard and Poplar to receive two permits — one good any time and one good only on weekdays before 6 p.m.
“I think the debate is whether side streets are strictly for the residents ... or are community assets,” said John Angelo, executive director of the Short North Alliance.
He said “business residents” are entitled to use those community assets. “They come here every day. They are very much part of the fabric.”
Klein said the bigger problem is that there are more permits than spaces. “Focusing on the employees, in my mind, is a red herring,” Klein said. “There are still too many permits for the number of spaces.”
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