Homewood parking committee meets with business owners

At the second meeting of Homewood’s ad hoc parking solutions committee on Thursday, Aug. 20, discussion centered on ways to make more room for customers to park at downtown businesses.

Ward 1 Representative Britt Thames, as well as several local business owners in attendance, stressed that the prime spot for employee parking was the parking garage at SoHo Square under Homewood City Hall. Greg Cobb, the city’s director of engineering, planning & zoning, said he believes there are approximately 400 spots in the parking garage. He wasn’t certain how many of the spots were reserved for SoHo Flats residents to rent but said the vast majority of spots are open to non-residents.  

“The point being is this deck is an asset that’s got to be used,” Thames said. “We’ve got to figure out a way to use it.”

Cobb said City Hall employees utilize the parking facility, but business owners in attendance told tales of businesses allowing employees to use the prime parking spots on 18th Street South and other surrounding streets. The business owners also brainstormed ways to get employees off the street and into the parking garage.

Andrea Snyder, who, along with her husband David, owns Urban Cookhouse locations on 18th Street and The Summit, suggested that businesses require employees to sign an agreement to park in the garage. She said the Summit has a similar procedure for employees. Another suggestion was that incentives, such as gift certificates, be offered to employees who park in the garage.

“No one would admit it was their employees parking in customers’ spot but they were talking about other businesses,” Thames said. “I think that if you get the businesses to buy in and start policing themselves and include some city enforcement with that, I think you are going to immediately see improvement.”

Stricter enforcement of two-hour parking limits was mentioned, as well as an increase in parking fines. Better signage directing drivers to the parking garage was also suggested.

The business owners in attendance seemed encouraged by the conversation.

“I’m glad the city is going to direct people to the parking deck below SoHo to help solve the problem,” said Shaia’s co-owner Ken Shaia.

Thames said identifying and solving problems is why the committee was formed.

“I think it was incredibly helpful,” Thames said. “I’m on the city council, I’m a resident of Homewood [but] I don’t own or operate a business in Homewood. They are going to have ideas and suggestions because they are dealing with it day to day.”

Meetings of the parking committee are scheduled to take place approximately every two weeks, but Thames said there is no set timeline to make recommendations to the city’s planning and development committee.

“We can make a recommendation to the P&D committee as we go,” Thames said. “We don’t need to wait until we’re done and present them all at once.”

Thames did discuss one project that is moving forward that could help with the parking problem. Homewood applied for and received a federal grant of $400,000, accompanied by a 20 percent match from the city to push the total to $500,000. The money will go toward a streetscape renewal on 18th Street past Central Avenue. The project involves landscaping and sidewalk improvement and, according to Thames, could “involve some reconfiguration of the [lanes] down there that would increase parking, similar to what we have on this part of 18th Street.”