FORT WAYNE – Several Allen County officials expressed concern that Fort Wayne’s new parking rules at Citizens Square could be onerous for volunteers and residents trying to attend public meetings.
The city last week began enforcing a two-hour parking limit at the lot next to the building’s north entrances. Frank Suarez, city spokesman, said while the city always had plans to limit parking at the lot, the rules began being enforced after city officials noticed several people were abusing parking designated for guests of city and county government.
“We found that other people were using it for the whole day,” he said. “Generally when people come down here to do business, it’s not going to take them two hours.”
Allen County Council President Larry Brown, R-4th, said there are several meetings that last longer than two hours at the building, including the council’s 8:30 a.m. monthly meetings.
“This is another example of the city going off on a tangent without doing all their homework in my opinion,” he said.
County Councilman Darren Vogt, R-3rd, agreed with Brown, calling the parking changes a “poor decision.”
The city spent $309,921 last year to improve the parking lot and increase the number of spaces. While the lot is often crowded, it is rare when a single open spot cannot be found. While there are no meters in the lot, the city clerk’s office will enforce the limit by chalking tires. Violators would be subject to $5 tickets.
Brown said that although he understands the reasons for limiting parking – he’s noticed employees using the spots – the enforcement will only frustrate residents who attend legitimate meetings and get a ticket. Brown said he is in the building probably three times a week, often for longer than two hours.
City Council meetings also can last several hours, but they occur in the evening when there is no parking enforcement.
Suarez said the city has decided to waive tickets from people who attended actual meetings in the building, but stressed that a “large majority” of people using the building are there less than two hours.
County Commissioner Therese Brown said making people have to appeal tickets after attending a meeting seems counterintuitive. While commissioner meetings rarely last two hours, Brown also sits on the county plan commission, which can draw large crowds for several hours.
Brown said it might make sense to issue passes to members of boards to avoid giving them a ticket, or to give vouchers to people at lengthy public meetings to show to the clerk to avoid a ticket.
The City-County Building has an adjacent garage that charges people to park, but there is no time limit.
Suarez said the lot is still fairly new to the city and the situation will be monitored. He said there is no current plan to begin charging to park at the Citizens Square lot.
Commissioner Brown said if people are truly concerned about being in the lot for too long, they could always park a block away at the City-County Building garage.
