Lakeland has taken the first step in changing some of its parking fees, making parking more expensive for some downtown workers and regulars but not changing the popular two-hour free parking.
The City Commission voted unanimously Monday to raise the cost of monthly parking permits to $90 per month beginning in fiscal year 2025, which starts Oct. 1. The price of a permit will increase to $100 a month the following year.
"We are not changing the on-street or off-street metered parking," said Tess Schwartz, the city's traffic operations manager. "We are making changes to the off-street permit rates, monthly permits in our lots and garages."
What do spaces cost now?
The city leases parking slots in several of the downtown garages on a monthly basis to businesses and individuals. The current price at the Main Street Garage for individuals ranges from $35 for a rooftop space up to $70 for a covered space, as per the city of Lakeland's Parking website.
The city's negotiated long-term contracts with businesses have variable rates. As of February, the city had two contracts with Broadway for 14 and 15 spaces, Lofts for 20 spaces and Terrace Hotel for 40 spaces. These and others with existing fixed-rate leases will not see a price change until their contract expires or is terminated.
Those who park in the city's surface parking lots, including Oak Street, South Tennessee Avenue, Lot C or North Tennessee Avenue, currently pay a lesser published rate of $37.45. The new rate approved Monday does not provide a lesser rate for surface parking lots, with one exception.
Schwartz said downtown employees who don't want to pay new $90 to $100 monthly rate can seek a permit for the South Tennessee Lot, formerly known as Lot B, located at 165 E. Lime St. It will offer a monthly parking permit at the reduced rate of $50.
"Someone who doesn't mind walking a few blocks can get a permit there at a lower rate," she said.
What about steet-side parking?
City officials including Commissioners Guy LaLonde and Mike Musick said they've been contacted by several residents and businesses concerned the city was raising its parking rates — or worse, eliminating its policy of offering two hours free on-street parking.
Lakeland's free on-street parking has caused a lot of headaches for commissioners, city staff and drivers.
"It's a point of confusion that we see a lot where people come in saying, 'I only parked for an hour before, so I still have an hour,'" Schwartz said. "That's unfortunately not how it works."
The first time a driver parks in an on-street, metered parking spot each day, it's free for up to two hours. Any time the vehicle is parked there beyond the initial two-hour period will cost $1 per hour.
Regardless of whether the car is parked in the on-street metered space for 30 minutes or two hours, once the vehicle is moved, the driver's free parking is over. Once the car is moved or parked in a different space, whether immediately or later in the day, it costs $1 an hour effective immediately.
"Let’s say you go downtown in morning and you park for two hours, or park for an hour and half, you have used your free parking," Schwartz said. "If you park somewhere else downtown at another time during the day that's considered a second parking session."
Warnings and an appeal process
Schwartz said there is a process allowing residents to appeal their first citation for violating Lakeland's downtown parking ordinances. She said city staff is working to create a warning program in which an educational flyer would be placed on the windshield of first-time violators.
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"When people come down to park, we don't want them getting tickets, getting fines and getting frustrated," she said. "We want the parking system to be easy to use. "
The fine for violating city's downtown parking laws is $25.
"We want accessibility, affordability and the warning ability," Mayor Bill Mutz said. "Someone who has gamed the system is a different issue."
Schwartz told commissioners at Friday's agenda study that several other changes are in the works, including new Wayfaring signage to help direct visitors to public parking. The new signage will be color coded and include symbols in the city-owned garages, hopefully with some graphic work to help visitors identify and remember where they parked based on color.
One place where the signage has already been changed is the South Tennessee lot, Schwartz said where the city has transitioned from permit-only to a hybrid model that allows for monthly permit uses and metered parking.
Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl.
