PLATTEVILLE — A Platteville Common Council meeting without a discussion of downtown parking is like Christmas without decorated Christmas trees.
That was what came to Common Council President Mike Dalecki’s mind as the council considered more changes to downtown parking regulations.
“We have a Christmas tree map with 89 colors and exceptions to everything,” said Dalecki. “A year from now we’ll wish we had no overnight parking” rules and not issued permits.
The newest changes to city parking are in the area around Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium — Markee Avenue from Southwest Road to South Chestnut Street, the north side of Southwest Road from Markee Avenue to Longhorn Drive — where four-hour parking is now permitted.
Four-hour parking is also permitted around Harrison Park — the east side of Straw Avenue, the west side of South Court Street from Harrison Avenue southward, and the south side of Harrison Avenue from Straw Avenue to South Court Street — and Sherman Park along South Court Street and Bayley Avenue.
The council approved an amendment by District 4 Ald. Ken Kilian to replace the original ban on overnight parking in the Harrison Park and Sherman Park areas to allow overnight parking by permit only.
The council also approved editorial changes to the new permit parking south of Pine Street to align the city’s parking map with the ordinance.
Permits are now required to park in 21 different portions of Staley Avenue, Straw Avenue, Division Street, Southwest Road, South Chestnut Street, Harrison Avenue, South Court Street, Bradford Street, Irene Street, Gridley Street, Alden Avenue, Bayley Avenue, Richard Street, Hickory Street, Jay Street and Sunset Drive.
Another eight portions of Southwest Road, Gridley Avenue, Hickory Street, South Chestnut Street, Alden Avenue, Rountree Avenue and Mitchell Avenue allow only two-hour parking between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. for those who do not have permits. Parts of Carlisle Street and Richard Street and areas around B&B Service, 340 S. Chestnut St., are restricted to 15-minute parking for those without permits.
Two Kilian motions died without seconds. The first would have issued visitor permits for house guests, which Kilian said would be “much simpler than calling the police station” to get permission to park in no-parking zones.
“You’re going to have 400 people asking for six permits, at which point they’ll be everywhere,” said Dalecki.
The second motion would have replaced the definition of “family” to increase the number of available permits in permit-parking-only areas. City ordinances allow two permits per family, with up to two additional permits available for licensed drivers.
Kilian’s amendment would have used the definition of “family” in the city’s Limited Occupancy Residential Overlay District areas, which were created in 2011.
The council gave feedback on the parking-rental plan presented by District 3 Ald. Barb Daus, chair of the city’s Downtown Redevelopment Authority, considered at the previous night’s RDA meeting.
Daus proposed renting parking spaces for $30 per month in six-month leases in locations as far north as West Furnace Street and as far south as Rountree Avenue.
The RDA board trimmed Daus’ proposal for about 85 spots down to the parking stalls on Rountree Avenue and at North Fourth Street and Mineral Street, while proposing finding other places to lease spots, including the Family Aquatic Center, the Armory, and the former Pioneer Ford Mercury location at Pine Street and Water Street.
Dalecki, however, preferred Daus’ original proposal, which would also have rented spots on the southern end of the Pine–Bonson lot, the 24-hour spots in the lot at Oak Street and East Main Street, and the parking lot on North Fourth Street and Furnace Street.
“I hear from people who ask why they have to pay for parking when downtown people get it for free,” he said. “And I think we need to end that.”
The council is expected to vote at its Aug. 28 meeting on two changes to parking regulations. The first would parking on College Drive from Greenwood Avenue to Sunset Drive, University Plaza, and Greenwood Avenue to holders of UW–Platteville parking permits weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 2 to 6 a.m.
The second would ban parking on the west side of North Second Street and prohibits parking on the east side between 2 and 6 a.m., and designates a loading zone on the east side between 8 and 10 a.m.
