Overnight parking plan in development

The proposed parking plan would dedicate Lot A as a 48-hour public overnight parking lot and Lots B and C would be available for overnight parking only for downtown residents who have a city-issued parking permit.

By Denise Lana,

The proposed parking plan would dedicate Lot A as a 48-hour public overnight parking lot and Lots B and C would be available for overnight parking only for downtown residents who have a city-issued parking permit.

A resolution may be in sight for the city’s longstanding shortage of overnight parking for downtown residents. Decorah’s city engineer and city council met Monday and developed a potential parking plan. The new plan is meant to both provide downtown residents and designate a separate public lot for overnight parking.

According to the city’s current parking plan, which was developed in 1997, there are more than 1,000 on-and off-street parking spaces in the downtown district, with 92 stalls designated as overnight public parking.     

City Engineer John Hjelle said there are about 55 short and long-term rentals among the 100-plus buildings along Water Street, between Mill and Day streets. Long-term residents are currently restricted from parking on Water Street or on any streets adjacent to Water Street.  

The North Alley western lot (referred in the story as Lot A) — located behind the Oneota Community Food Co-op across from the local Post Office — has 63 parking stalls, while the large central lot (Lot B) between Court and State streets has more than 150 parking stalls. Despite a combined total of nearly 215 stalls in the two North Alley lots, only 14 are earmarked for residents — six stalls in the western lot, and eight stalls in the central lot. Sixteen additional stalls are located two blocks south on State Street next to the Fareway parking lot (Lot C).  

Permit parking was discussed at several prior city council meetings, with some city officials proposing downtown residents be issued a permit allowing them to park near their homes overnight. The idea was taken up again during Monday’s meeting.  

Full article available in the September 26 Decorah Leader.

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