San Anselmo merchants enraged over paid parking plan

The San Anselmo downtown business community is up in arms over a new paid parking program.

The Town Council approved the plan for San Anselmo Avenue in February. The town implemented the $1.50-per-hour charge in June.

Parking is enforced from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Payment can be made at one of 11 pay stations or on a phone using the ParkMobile app. The program is projected to generate $326,400 in annual revenue.

Business owners say the new system should be abolished, arguing the program causes confusion and hurts their bottom line.

“The chamber of commerce, and the majority of merchants I know we’re dealing with, never supported the full paid parking,” said Benedetto Cico, the chamber president.

“I’m urging you to repeal this paid parking,” business owner Laurie Berliner said. “It’s killing us. Our bottom lines are all affected.”

“Since these have been installed, I am seeing a lot of empty parking spaces, which equals empty stores,” merchant Belinda Wickwire said. “When we do get the people coming in, they’re frustrated. They’re angry. My employees are frustrated. They don’t have a place to park.”

Cico said instead of implementing a paid parking program, the town should have focused on enforcing the two-hour parking limit to increase turnover. He said as a business owner, he’s had people complain about how difficult it is to use the system.

“People are making jokes that you need a Ph.D. in paid parking to be able to pay the parking,” Cico said. “It’s too complicated. There are too many signs.”

“The paid parking has really made a negative impact on all our businesses,” merchant Frank Gomez said. “It’s very difficult for people to use and I’m going outside pretty much every day to try and show people how to work the kiosks.”

“People come to this town for the charm,” said Pat Townsley, owner of Creekside Pizza and Taproom. “It’s been ruined by the decision of this council to put paid parking in.”

Several merchants said many older customers are struggling to navigate the system, and are often confused on how to pay or where to park. Berliner said she’s had crying seniors in her store.

Real estate agent Mary Edwards said she spoke with an elderly woman whom she found crying after getting a $47 parking ticket. The woman, who said she had been shopping in the area for 20 years and is on a fixed income, swore she’d never shop in San Anselmo again.

Edwards said it happened to her as well. She said she got a ticket after arriving at her car one minute after the time expired.

“That was very discouraging, not a good sign,” Edwards said. “I’m totally against the parking.”

Sara Robinson, with Age and Disability Friendly San Anselmo, said the street signs and mobile app lack accessibility features. She said the various ways to pay are good, but the text on the signs is not legible to anyone with poor vision.

“There is a high societal cost of free parking and free parking is directly linked to increased car dependence,” Mayor Tarrell Kullaway said. “On the other hand, if we are hurting businesses, there won’t be a reason to go downtown in the first place.”

Architect Jeff Kroot, who has had an office in the area for almost 50 years, suggested the council revisit the issue. He said the system was too high-tech.

“I’ve heard people swearing at meters, ‘I’m never going to come back and shop in San Anselmo, I can’t make this thing work,’” he said.

Town Manager David Donery said the Economic Development Committee will hold a forum on the program at 8:45 a.m. Sept. 9 at Town Hall.

The Town Council will consider options, including modifying or repealing the program, at its Sept. 23 meeting.