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HENDERSONVILLE – Despite changes the city has made to rates and fees for parking kiosks and the parking garage, downtown business owners are still saying the new parking laws have dealt a big blow to their overall business, especially during the morning and afternoon hours.
The Times-News was alerted by a reader that one downtown restaurant, Never Blue, located at 119 S. Main St., is even reimbursing their patrons for parking, according to a recent post on Facebook.
“It has taken a serious toll on our business and anyone else that does not have a parking lot on Main, so starting July 20, we will be reimbursing you for your parking to come in and eat at Never Blue,” the post said. “We will credit your bill for one hour of parking for one car if you spend $25 or more. We will credit your bill for two hours of parking for one car or one hour each for two cars if you spend $50 or more. If you have a large party with multiple cars, just message us and let’s chat. We will work something out.”
Multiple attempts by the Times-News to contact the owner of Never Blue were unsuccessful, but one of the employees at the restaurant last week confirmed that the above policy was still in place.
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“Downtown is suffering ya’ll, and the good folks with small business are trying to hang on, but they need your help,” the post said. “If you are boycotting downtown because of paid parking to prove a point, please rethink your choices and bring your business back to downtown. We all need you.”
The employees’ point of view
Brian Fraga is one of the owners of The Dugout Sports Bar and Grill and has been with the restaurant for the past 10 years. He said he saw an immediate drop in his business when the parking kiosks and parking garage were finished.
“A lot of local residents are upset about the parking and not coming to downtown. I know just through talking to other business owners downtown that everybody is feeling it,” he told the Times-News on Aug. 16.
Fraga said while all the talk has been about customers’ parking, the parking situation is also challenging for workers at the downtown businesses.
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“One of our owners was able to get a permit, and he’s happy with that. It’s just hard for us with all of our employees. We’d have to buy several spots. It’s just a difficult situation,” he said. “I really don’t know what the solution is.”
He said he does notice that after 7 p.m., when parking is free, business picks up.
“Oh, yeah. Big time. We see a lot more customers after 7, and I notice a lot more people downtown,” he said.
City makes more changes
The downtown parking kiosks and the parking garage debuted March 1 with fees starting on March 3. Five months later, Hendersonville City Council voted to make some changes to the fees after listening to complaints from residents and business owners.
At the Aug. 9 meeting, councilmembers approved these changes:
- Visitors will now pay in 30-minute increments to park in the garage, instead of one-hour increments. Parking on Main Street and the surrounding avenues will be purchased in 15-minute increments.
- Flat-rate parking fees can now be assessed for special events. Drivers will pay a set rate when entering the garage, making exiting the deck more efficient.
- Up to three vehicles can now be assigned to a single parking permit. Only one vehicle per permit can park in a parking facility at a time, however.
- The 30-minute parking spaces on Main Street have been removed so that they match the rest of the street.
- The price of first-time citation rates for parking violations has been lowered from $50 to $25.
- A penalty of $500 and a misdemeanor citation has been set for climbing or standing on the walls on the top level of the parking garage.
“They are making some changes, so that’s good to see,” Fraga said. “It shows they are listening to us.”
A look at the numbers
In the past five months, there has been a steady increase in occupancy at the lots, Main Street and avenues’ kiosks and also the parking garage, according to a report from the city from the months of March through July.
Occupancy percentages:
- Parking garage: 8% in March, 11% in April, 17% in May, 18% in June, 21% in July
- Lots: 35% in March, 33% in April, 39% in May, 47% in June, 50% in July
- Main Street/avenues: 39% in March, 39% in April, 40% in May, 46% in June, 49% in July
In those past five months, the Main Street and side avenues kiosks have brought in the most revenue at $251,901. The parking lots’ revenue from March-July was $61,352, and the parking garage revenue was $58,093 for a total revenue for parking coming to $371,346, the city’s report said.
So far, that’s an average of approximately $74,000 per month. At that rate, the revenue for the year will come close to $900,000.
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‘Part of growth’
It’s been several decades ago that Hendersonville did indeed have metered parking downtown.
“Why did they take it out? It had a negative impact on business. I guess nobody remembers that. So the ‘proof is in the pudding,'” Barbara Hughes, owner of Narnia Studios, said in April.
But as the city continues to grow, local leaders believe the new parking kiosks and garage are a vital part of that growth.
More projects are in the works daily, including the new, larger fire station across from Hendersonville High School, which also had a major renovation completed just a year ago. Work also continues on Fairmont Heritage Place – The Cedars, which will feature 127 luxury condo units in two new six-story, mid-rise buildings connected to the restored original building by a glass atrium. The condos will consist of one-, two- and three-bedroom units and penthouses with prices ranging from $400,000 to $3.8 million.
There are a few downtown business owners who have already embraced the change. Below are comments told the Times-News from business owners in April:
- “This is part of growth. It’s like that for every city. It’s a bigger change for locals but not so much for the tourists. For the locals, it’s an adjustment period.” – Matt Johnes, the longtime owner of Hannah Flannigan’s
- “People complain about it. People don’t like change. But every city you go in, you have to pay to park.” – Mindy Ballard, owner of Just Ducky
- “It has impacted business, regardless of what anyone says. I think it’ll take a year for people to soak this in and get used to it, and then it will be past us.” – Aubrey Hollar, Mike’s On Main and Mike’s 305 owner
Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.
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