Local shoppers are going to see big changes in downtown parking this summer.
The Fulton City Council Tuesday night approved a series of recommendations from the Traffic Commission and the Brick District Committee regarding parking in the Brick District Overlay Area.
One of the biggest changes is to go from two- to three-hour parking within the brick district, with zoning enforcement. Other adjustments will include:
• Assigned lease spots along the east side of the Market Street Parking Lot and the west side of the Nichols Street Parking lot at a rate of $20 per month, enforced from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Three-hour free parking in the center section (44 spaces) of the Market Street Parking Lot.
• All remaining meter spaces (in the two lots) changed to 25-cents per hour.
• Parking violation fines changed from $5 to $20.
Kingdom of Callaway Chamber of Commerce Director Nancy Lewis, who appeared at Tuesday night's council meeting on behalf of the Brick District Committee, said they were proposing making these changes for a six-month trial period.
"We just want to try this," Lewis said, adding that the increased three-hour time limit "came from a survey we conducted last fall."
As for the leased parking spaces, she said that downtown business owners had said if they were given an inexpensive, good place to park every day, they would help encourage employees to utilize them rather than street-side parking in front of the businesses.