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The Jackson town council unanimously approved a $25 daily cap for its downtown parking structure on Oct. 6, which up until this month had been free.
The first eight hours will be free, then $5 per hour after that until the daily max is met. That’s the latest decision after the town initially made plans in June for a $3-an-hour charge from the hours of midnight to 4 a.m. to culminate in a $12 overnight rate.
Jackson’s move to start charging for parking at the garage comes as the town says it costs too much to maintain and patrol the structure. It won’t have much of an impact until the overnight street parking ban goes into effect for winter snow removal. Until Nov. 1, overnight street parking is still allowed and free.
This week’s vote was aimed at responding to resident concerns that the new overnight cost will be expensive, up to $2,000 if people regularly park overnight at $12 a night. That’s especially for those with few options to park elsewhere if their allotted spaces have been maxed out.
Cheyenne Syvertson, who lives in a nearby affordable development, Jackson Street Apartments, is one of them.
“I also have that concern for equity and these problems falling on people who don’t have other options who are not even resourced enough to be present for the meeting tonight,” Syvertson said during the Monday meeting’s public comment.
Her 57-unit complex has only one guaranteed parking spot for each household. She and her partner each have a car, as is the case with many homes with more than one adult.
The town council is looking for a longer-term solution. Councilors said that they’ve primarily heard frustration from residents at the Jackson Street Apartments, but directed staff to survey the area’s residents to better understand parking needs. Syvertson acknowledged after the meeting that the survey could be a step in the right direction.
But that doesn’t get rid of the immediate issue.
“If I have a friend drive to town from Lander to ski for a week they need to pay the town of Jackson $175 to visit me?” Doug Gorand, a six-year Jackson resident, said in a message.
Gorand said it could cost him upwards of $4,000 dollars should he need to rely on the garage this winter. The town says the structure was never intended for residential storage space. That is, however, how some with few affordable options are practically using it.
The 34-year old lives in a complex at the intersection of Snow King Avenue and Glenwood Street. Many of his neighbors also rely on the garage at times, which leads him to believe there could be more parking options in town.
Monday’s change could cost him even more than the initial proposal.
Mayor Arne Jorgensen, however, suggested that Jackson has enough parking but underutilizes its assets. As Jackson looks for ways to source more funding, he thinks the town could benefit from the revenue from the visitors who also use the space and pointed to potential free market solutions for residents, such as paying neighbors to park in their open spots.
