By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
According to Lake Orion Police Chief Jerry Narsh, the bad news is that Lake Orion has a parking problem.?
The good news, however, is that Lake Orion has a parking problem.?
‘There are many communities that would love to have the problem we have regarding parking, because that means our downtown is booming, it’s rocking, and that’s the good news,? Narsh said.?
He admit, however, that it can be tough to find close, on-street parking, especially since the downtown district is filling up.?
Of the 78 commercial spaces in the historic downtown district, only four are currently vacant, a vacancy rate of five percent.?
There are 172 two-hour on-street parking spaces to bring customers to those commercial businesses. In recent weeks it has been the goal of the LOPD to gently remind the public the two-hour street parking is strictly for customers.?
Just last week Code Enforcement Officer Terry Thelen asked several downtown businesses to help educate employees of downtown Lake Orion Parking Zones and Rules.?
He handed several local businesses literature pertaining to downtown parking and answered any questions.?
According to Chapter 71: Parking Regulations of Lake Orion’s general ordinances, a section titled Prohibition (71.29) states, ‘No person employed by or operating a business or profession in a parking zone established under this subchapter shall park a privately owned or company owned motor vehicle on any public street’effective between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday each week.?
In other words, business owners and their employees are prohibited from using the free two-hour parking spaces directly adjacent to downtown businesses.?
Village residents are also prohibited from using the two-hour parking spaces. There are 62 residential units in the downtown center district with approximately 20 of those in the Verwood Apartments.?
Instead, business owners, their employees, and village downtown residents must use the 23-hour municipal lots scattered throughout the downtown, also free to the public.?
Businesses owners are allotted 30 minutes a day, Monday through Saturday, however, for loading and unloading purposes pertaining to the business.?
The reason for the reiteration of the ordinance, established in 1997, is Narsh has noticed an increase in two-hour parking violations over the last several weeks.?
‘We get complaints, and have been getting complaints, so we are enforcing right now with education,? he said. ‘We’re asking that managers and owners to educate their staff, and perhaps even their regular customers, to park in the municipal lots, to save parking resources for new, potential customers.?
Narsh hates giving out tickets. In fact, first time offenders are often let off with a warning, and an explanation for where to park.?
‘There are many positives about the way we’ve structured our parking downtown, and we just ask for voluntary cooperation. We don’t want to write parking tickets. We all understand the limited resources we have and we need to work together to maximize those for our businesses.?
Because, the quicker the turnaround of the two-hour parking spaces, the greater potential for new customers to park downtown, and thus the increased potential for local transactions.?
One direction the LOPD is taking to help enforce parking regulations is partnering with the Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Village Council to install directional way finding signage to indicate where the municipal lots are located.?
With a total of 172 parking spaces in the handful of municipal lots, Narsh said it is worth the extra few steps to ensure a more cooperative and fair parking environment.?
The lower municipal parking lot is located just north of Children’s Park and the Orion Art Center. The upper municipal parking lot is the lot directly north of Lockharts BBQ outside of the old police station. The old Whiskey’s parking lot is also a 23-hour municipal lot, along with the DDA parking lot just behind 51 North Brewery.?
There are also two shared public/private lots available after 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and all day Sundays. Those two lots include parking zones outside of The Lake Orion Review and State Farm offices, and the Lake Orion Pet Centre. There are a total of 16 shared public/private parking spaces.?
With 172 on street two-hour parking spaces, 210 parking spots in private lots, 173 municipal 23-hour parking spots and 16 shared public/private spaces that makes a total of 571 parking spaces in the downtown district.?
‘If I can steer more people down to those municipal parking lots, especially existing employees and business owners, you will see an increase in parking spaces on our streets,? Narsh said, which will help to quiet the complaints from some local business owners.?
If recurrent violators are found, they could receive a $15 parking citation for two-hour spots, $100 for handicap parking violations, and $40 for all other parking violations. Narsh also reminded that parking in downtown spaces between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. is a ticketable offense.?
Narsh was one of the main proponents to rid Lake Orion of its paid parking and meters back in the 1980s, referring to that method as ‘punishment parking? and is grateful the village opted to adopt free parking.?
‘We’re not trying to make money on our parking because we’re trying to save those dollars for our businesses. If we can just understand that our businesses need to help educate their employees and long time customers too.?
He added it’s healthier to walk the few extra blocks to the municipal parking zones, ‘especially after you slam a really good downtown Lake Orion lunch.??