St. Pete explores expanding parking permit program

St. Petersburg officials are weighing the pros and cons of extending the city’s residential parking permit program away from the downtown core.

Evan Mory, director of transportation and parking management, noted officials have rarely updated regulations since it launched in 1992. Councilmember Lisset Hanewicz requested the Nov. 7 committee discussion due to increasing parking issues around businesses lining the 4^th Street North corridor.

“If you’re the person who lives a block from these areas, it matters to you,” Hanewicz said. “Somebody two blocks away – it doesn’t matter to them.”

The city offers residential parking permits from the downtown waterfront west through the Grand Central District. Mory said officials extended the program to Old Northeast in 2018 and 2019 as business district visitors repeatedly intruded into the neighborhood.

The city continues growing, and recent zoning changes that support additional density could exacerbate the problem. Residents in the five current zones can pay $15 annually for an on-street parking permit and two visitor passes.

Old Northeast residents can receive three visitor passes. Hanewicz noted that many homes throughout St. Petersburg lack garage or driveway space.

The city prohibits commercial vehicles from parking on residential streets when not completing a job. Council members also approved ordinance amendments in January to mitigate the preponderance of modified vans and buses that lined neighborhoods and waterfront parks.

Nearly anyone else can park along residential roadways outside of the current program’s five zones. Hanewicz repeatedly used the area around a Trader Joe’s grocery store on 4^th Street to highlight the potential need for expansion.

“Every time I go on 4^th Street, there are cars trying to get into Trader Joe’s,” she said. “Clearly, that parking lot is not big enough for Trader Joe’s. And there are other businesses … that are popular, where you may have those issues.”

Hanewicz said many of those customers park in front of neighboring homes. Officials have previously ensured non-residents are responsible for the lack of space before establishing a new zone.

Mory said current zones met the city’s 75% parking occupancy criteria. In addition, at least 25% of the vehicles were owned by non-residents, as the program would not increase available space if “most of the people live nearby already.”

Mory said about 50% of downtown spaces allow those with a permit to ignore typical parking regulations and fees. “It doesn’t work great for visitors or businesses,” he added. “We lose that turnover.”

A graphic highlighting residential parking permit zones in St. Petersburg. Screengrab.

The city’s parking enforcement department ensures program compliance around downtown, and Mory said citywide expansion would likely require the police department’s assistance. Officials also discussed following the City of Phoenix’s lead and only allowing residential parking in problematic areas.

“That would have the advantage of being easier to enforce and more effective in reducing the overflow and unauthorized parking,” Mory said. “We think if we’re going to look at areas well outside of downtown, we need to go with a program that’s residents-only.”

Administrators recommend following a similar process to implementing traffic calming devices. They would survey area stakeholders and, ideally, reach a 60% consensus threshold.

Pheonix uses a 70% neighborhood approval requirement. Hanewicz stressed that parking issues would increase as the city and businesses continue developing in previously suburban areas.

“This is really about helping everyone in our community have a better quality of life, no matter where they live,” she added. “And having a fair process.”

Mory warned that officials must also consider an expanded program’s impacts on commercial employees and customers. “It begs the question of whether our minimum parking requirements are sufficient,” he said.

Mory said stakeholders should also consider whether the city’s $15 annual parking permit program causes more harm than good by eliminating increasingly valuable parking spaces downtown. Administrators, attorneys and council members will continue discussing potential updates.