The issue of parking on the Square has surfaced again, this time in the form of a petition to look at adding four parking stalls, one on each side of the redesigned downtown streetscape.
A petition, with 31 signatures from downtown business owners and employees, was submitted to the city last week. The petition asked the city to look at adding a parking stall on each side of the Square near the mid-block crosswalks in order to ensure more convenient parking for patrons of downtown businesses.
It's not clear yet if such a move would even be allowed; the state regulates the amount of space required between crosswalks and parking stalls. The city directed the police chief and engineering supervisor to investigate state laws further to determine if adding a space is feasible.
It's a futile effort. The streetscape has been done for months. The time for requesting changes is long over.
The real issue is not the number of parking stalls available on the Square. As several of our readers have commented online, shoppers are willing to walk a short distance to shop. Just look at any of one of the larger discount or grocery retailers on the west side - on a busy day, customers can expect to walk up to a city block between their parking spots and the front door.
If downtown merchants really want to make shopping downtown convenient, they should reconsider the hours they are open.
We often hear complaints from residents who want to shop downtown but find it too inconvenient. While a few stores do have later hours, most of the retail businesses close at 5 p.m. every night, some even earlier on Saturday, and are closed on Sundays.
Some have suggested the Friday nights of years gone by, when stores downtown were open late and the Square was abuzz with activity, could work again. It's certainly an idea worth trying.
Downtown merchants offer both specialty merchandise and a high level of personal service that "big box" stores can't. And the "new" downtown streetscape offers a beautiful backdrop that can surely draw new - and retain existing - customers. Downtown businesses should embrace this distinction and promote downtown - both locally and outside of Monroe - as a destination to shop and stroll and eat and shop some more.
We know some downtown merchants agree with the destination-shopping idea. But with 31 signatures on the petition presented to the city, it's clear some are looking only as far as the parking spot in front of their own store and not seeing the bigger picture.
Shoppers want value, but they're also looking for the unique items and personal service that only specialty downtown retailers can provide.
And they're willing to walk a few steps to get it - provided the door is open.
A petition, with 31 signatures from downtown business owners and employees, was submitted to the city last week. The petition asked the city to look at adding a parking stall on each side of the Square near the mid-block crosswalks in order to ensure more convenient parking for patrons of downtown businesses.
It's not clear yet if such a move would even be allowed; the state regulates the amount of space required between crosswalks and parking stalls. The city directed the police chief and engineering supervisor to investigate state laws further to determine if adding a space is feasible.
It's a futile effort. The streetscape has been done for months. The time for requesting changes is long over.
The real issue is not the number of parking stalls available on the Square. As several of our readers have commented online, shoppers are willing to walk a short distance to shop. Just look at any of one of the larger discount or grocery retailers on the west side - on a busy day, customers can expect to walk up to a city block between their parking spots and the front door.
If downtown merchants really want to make shopping downtown convenient, they should reconsider the hours they are open.
We often hear complaints from residents who want to shop downtown but find it too inconvenient. While a few stores do have later hours, most of the retail businesses close at 5 p.m. every night, some even earlier on Saturday, and are closed on Sundays.
Some have suggested the Friday nights of years gone by, when stores downtown were open late and the Square was abuzz with activity, could work again. It's certainly an idea worth trying.
Downtown merchants offer both specialty merchandise and a high level of personal service that "big box" stores can't. And the "new" downtown streetscape offers a beautiful backdrop that can surely draw new - and retain existing - customers. Downtown businesses should embrace this distinction and promote downtown - both locally and outside of Monroe - as a destination to shop and stroll and eat and shop some more.
We know some downtown merchants agree with the destination-shopping idea. But with 31 signatures on the petition presented to the city, it's clear some are looking only as far as the parking spot in front of their own store and not seeing the bigger picture.
Shoppers want value, but they're also looking for the unique items and personal service that only specialty downtown retailers can provide.
And they're willing to walk a few steps to get it - provided the door is open.
