Small business owners in Sacramento's Lavender Heights neighborhood have formed a new alliance to address concerns about parking costs and public safety, calling on city leaders to make changes they say are hurting local businesses.
More than 20 businesses have signed on to the newly formed Lavender Alliance, which was established this week. The group plans to hold a community meeting next Wednesday and says it has invited Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum, who represents District 4, including Midtown and Lavender Heights.
The effort follows an Oct. 7 town hall hosted by McCarty to discuss public safety and economic development in Midtown, where business owners raised concerns about the city's parking policies.
"It's 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The meters get more expensive every night. You've got a meter maid sitting out there at 9:58 to nail every car," said Jill Osur, owner of Teneral Cellars wine lounge in Lavender Heights, during the town hall.
In July, Sacramento extended metered parking hours to run from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Osur said her business has seen sales decline by about 20% since the change.
"People are literally spending 30 dollars out front before they ever spend a dime to buy a glass of wine," Osur said. "Imagine that, you've already spent 28 dollars on parking. You're two minutes late and now you've got a $92 ticket. Why would you come back?"
Dan Chapin, a Roseville resident, said he recently received a $92 parking ticket while visiting Midtown.
"Popped into some meetings and totally forgot. It was an expensive adventure downtown," Chapin said.
He said the cost could make visitors reconsider spending time at local businesses.
"I think it might make you think twice about coming to a restaurant or a bar location," he said.
In a statement, McCarty said the city faced difficult budget decisions earlier this year.
"Earlier this year, we had to make tough budget choices between laying off police, fire, and parks workers or increasing fees and parking rates. There were no good options," McCarty said.
Osur said she left the town hall feeling that city leaders were not adequately addressing the concerns of Midtown businesses.
"I was very disappointed. I really felt, and left, feeling that the mayor is not concerned at all with the high number of businesses leaving Midtown," Osur said. "Following that meeting, we had a business meeting here with a lot of local business owners and we created the Lavender Alliance."
The city said it has improved parking signage in the area to make the changes clearer. It also reported that parking citations declined by nearly 7% from July through September compared with April through June.
The Lavender Alliance says it plans to address several issues affecting the neighborhood. Its parking demands include reducing metered hours to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., making parking free on holidays and eliminating Sunday parking fees.
The group plans to discuss its concerns and priorities at its meeting next Wednesday.
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