Council Study Session on Parking in West Dearborn
The contentious issue of paid parking in downtown West Dearborn will be the topic of a City Council study session on Wednesday, March 9, at Dearborn City Hall.
The meeting takes place at 5:30 p.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room. We will have more details about the upcoming meeting later today.
March 8th, 2011 at 7:17 am
I really don’t think that they need a study session to realize the big mistake they made with paid parking.
March 8th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
It is a shame that we are still talking about this issue. There is only one solution and it is not one that is going to happen.
Paid parking is not working. Parking decks were built for the massive overflow of parking that is simply not needed.
People do not want to pay when they can go to an area that has many more stores and restaurants to offer and they can park for free and go from one to another.
It is not really a matter of the money. The cost is not that great but the meter police patrol to give out tickets as fast as they can.
Greedy landlords, the poor economy, and paying to park with the likelihood of getting a ticket are what killed this area.
There really isn’t any way out. The city has to pay for the parking decks which very few people use.
Good luck at the meeting.
March 8th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
What is there to study?
March 9th, 2011 at 11:09 am
I’d have to say that what everyone is saying on here I agree with. The city got in way over it’s head with this parking fiasco and what put it over the top is the 2 parking garages, which cost the city $11.5 million of the $16 million parking build-out expenses. This is a big bill to pay and with little to no stores near the parking structures and the lawsuit with BK, it doesn’t appear these areas will have the parking customers and revenue to pay for these structures.
In the meantime, prospective customers from Dearborn and surrounding areas are choosing to go to neighboring communities or other areas of Dearborn (we hope) that offer free parking to do their shopping. In the meantime, businesses down there are struggling and we have a record number of vacancies in an area that used to be one of the most successful downtowns in Western Wayne County.
To add to the problem, Dearborn is facing projected $20 million budget shortages in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (July 1st through end of June), so the city cannot afford to eliminate paid parking and pay for the parking build-out.
I don’t know what the answer is, but it surely is a huge problem.
March 9th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
More of the same. Let’s talk something to death that we all know was a huge mistake to begin with. The leaders (even though I wonder how it is they lead) thought Dearborn was the next Royal Oak, or Ann Arbor. As we all see very clearly, this has not happened. The meters have failed in some lots so the “leaders” come up with another bad idea, let’s get flat rates.
Those two huge empty parking decks are the biggest joke of all. How does this city continue to make one stupid decision after the other. Clean house, get rid of all “names” in the Government, just because a past relative could run the city does not mean the same goes for later generations!
Stop talking, eliminate paid parking and sell everything you can online!!
March 9th, 2011 at 7:19 pm
i think its clear get rid of paid parking and the increased business will increase tax revenue which will help the city pay for its mistake. then sell off the structures to a private firm to capture as much money as possible. personally i think the meter maid is overstepping his duties and is quite honestly an annoyance to paying customers at dearborn businesses. if the day comes that dearborn is bustling and business and customers are infinite and guaranteed maybe with the input of the local businesses but right business need all the help they can get and paid parking is hurting the recovery. go away paid parking!
March 9th, 2011 at 8:35 pm
Here’s a partial solution to the two mostly empty parking decks: Get the City of Dearborn/Burton-Katzman legal impasse solved pronto so the owner of Emagine Theaters can build his entertainment complex between the decks. He must have the patience of Job to have stuck with Fakoury and the City of Dearborn for all these years of vacillation and uncontrollable circumstances.He seems to be the most likely salvation for West Dearborn on the horizon. Please, city administrators, don’t let him get away. Royal Oak’s Emagine Theater is only weeks away from opening.
March 10th, 2011 at 7:12 am
The city has come up with a great idea again. They are losing money on the parking system so they are going to raise the cost from 50 cents to 75 cents. Brilliant!
March 10th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
The city is already struggling to pay the cost of the paid parking lots, with most of the expense being the 2 parking structures. The city cannot simply “eliminate” paid parking. They’d have to crunch the numbers to see what they estimate in actual dollars it would take to at least “meet” the payments on the lots and 2 garages.
Then the city would have to go to the businesses down there who initially rejected larger Special Assessment District (SAD) payments to maintain those lots and garages. If the majority of the businesses agreed, then we could have free parking.
Just to clarify, I do NOT like paid parking any more than anyone else and am not defending the city. I am only stating that the money has to come from somewhere and since Dearborn is facing a “projected” $20 million dollar budget deficit 2 fiscal years in a row, they cannot simply eliminate paid parking. The city also may very well be raising property taxes to 15 mills and may ask voters to raise it to 18 mills, and I don’t think the city is going to approach other businesses and homeowners to pay for these lots and garages. So in my opinion, the only option are increased SAD’s for the business owners who have clients who use those lots. Although I haven’t spoke to every business owner affected by those lots and garages, every business owner I’ve spoke to that used to be against higher SAD’s is now FOR higher SAD’s.
March 10th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
Well Michael,
How much would a SAD to pay for maintenance and the new parking decks cost each business in the district? They SAY they’d rather have a bigger SAD than they scoffed at before. I imagine they’d change their tune when they found out how much it would cost them. So….how much? And what’s the latest with the BK lawsuit?
March 10th, 2011 at 10:26 pm
So the solution is to raise property taxes 25%, higher SADs, and just maybe impose an income tax? As the kids say, “really?”
Folks will vote with their feet, and the West End will hasten its seeming death spiral.
Those of us remaining will have a ever-increasing “orphan’s share” of the deficit as we watch our property values and services disappear.
The situation isn’t unprecedented – lots of municipalities can’t pay their debts or otherwise keep their promises.
Crises – Catharsis. Getting our heads around the reality of Dearborn’s very few options is the first step.
Sorry, but increased taxes won’t save Dearborn.
March 12th, 2011 at 9:39 am
Why don’t Dearborn’s residential property taxpayers follow the lead of certain business property taxpayers who withhold their taxes at the city and Wayne County level for as long as possible (4-5 years, I believe), before foreclosure sets in. After that time, the County offers a “tax amnesty” period, and the property owner can pay up all of his or her back taxes without penalties.
Sounds pretty smart to me, and it just might get the attention of our clueless city leaders.
March 12th, 2011 at 10:40 am
How Much,
I don’t have any clue on how much higher the SAD’s fees would be to business owners to eliminate paid parking. But I was told by many business owners down there that they felt the original owner SAD’s down there were too high – thus user paid parking. I don’t know if they’d be any different or lower now and I have no clue if the city is again considering SAD’s.
March 12th, 2011 at 8:42 pm
Go ahead….create an income tax in this city and you’ll see what happens. Tdogg is right. People will vote with their feet. All this talk of a temporary tax (whether it is an income tax user fee or whatever) is complete nonsense. Once the tax is implemented, we’ll never see it repealed. Other than to get my haircut or going to Westborn market, there is no business to keep me here. If I could only sell my house, I would be outta here yesterday.
March 13th, 2011 at 10:35 am
I was at the City Council meeting when the council approved the paid parking fiasco. The left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing; it was a complete joke from day one and, if more residents had been in attendance at the meeting, they would have realized what a bunch of inept, loser politicians are running this town and now city council and Mayor Puddin’ Pants want to compound the problem by raising fees and not admitting that they made a BIG mistake? Situation normal. That is what Dearborn is all about. Keeping things the same, even when they need to change.
March 15th, 2011 at 10:29 am
Why not rent those parking garages out for boat storage like they do with the one built in the city of Wayne (that wasn’t needed either) about 20 years ago?
March 15th, 2011 at 10:35 am
P.S. I was “home” for the holidays and stopped at Buddy’s for carry-out (yum!). I forgot about the free parking for carry-out customers and parked in the regular “paid” lot behind them. My mistake, figured I have to shell out some cash.
The silliest thing I’ve seen in years was that parking booth manned by a live person and there was basically nobody in that parking lot. Furthermore, there was no charge for my parking as I was probably there less than 1/2 hour?
She looked really, really bored as we exchanged whatever we exchanged. Pathetically silly.