Bill Hon has 904 reasons to hope a recently approved parking plan for Santa Fe's Railyard district goes off without a hitch.
Hon, the city's parking division director, has been at the center a contentious debate about how to best allocate and pay for 904 soon-to-be-available parking spaces in the burgeoning Railyard, which will feature a movie theater, commercial outlets, a commuter train stop and the city's farmers market.
Much of the uproar surrounding the Railyard parking stems from the fact the area has been touted as a community-oriented development.
But Hon said that never included the promise of free parking, despite the fact the city's Parking Advisory Committee initially recommended making parking free on Saturday mornings for the farmers market.
City councilors approved a plan April 30 to impose parking fees at the Railyard that are equivalent to downtown rates. They also plan to re-examine parking patterns six months after a 404-space parking garage opens to see if changes are warranted.
Hon concedes he's been surprised by the up-in-arms reaction to the decision to charge for parking, but said he's sympathetic to concerns.
"I understand it," he said. "They think it's a park. They've been going there for years (and not paying)."
But Hon pointed out he's supposed to recoup revenue after spending $18 million to construct the parking garage and install the necessary technology.
"You have to replace those funds," he said. "It's got to come from somewhere."
George Gundrey, the executive director of the Santa Fe Farmers Market, said he also gets the financial realities of the situation. But that doesn't mean he's thrilled with it.
"Obviously, we would prefer free parking," Gundrey said. "That would be our first choice."
Since that's not happening, however, Gundrey applauded the city's decision to offer parking at a discount on Saturday mornings, when the farmers market occurs, by charging only $1 to park in the Railyard between 7 a.m. and noon.
The Farmers Market has contracted for 50 private spaces for vendors to park their vehicles on market days, and Gundrey said the group is also studying the idea of validating the parking stubs for customers who receive food stamps or other government-assistance.
"At this point, we are still an automobile-based society," Gundrey said. "I don't see that changing tomorrow."
City councilors also pointed out an underlying issue of equity that should factor into the parking equation.
"That would be nice if we could (offer free parking), but it wouldn't be fair to the downtown merchants either," City Councilor Chris Calvert said.
To maintain order, a total of 17 new electronic display meters that accept various forms of payment will be used to regulate the 500 street-level parking spaces at the Railyard.
In addition, Hon said a customized special uses permit will be created for those using the Railyard district at certain limited times.
Railyard Parking by the Numbers
- 500 street-level parking spots
- 404 underground spots in parking garage
- $1 per hour for street-level parking
- $1.80 per hour for covered parking
- $60 monthly for nonreserved permit
- $140 monthly for reserved space
- 395 people on permit waiting list
