The Oswego Village Board has approved a change to the municipal parking ordinance that will impose 30-minute time limits on a few parking spaces downtown as part of a pilot program.
The concept of designating the 30-minute time limit parking spots in some of the key shopping areas along Main Street originated from a discussion by members of the Oswego Downtown Association, village officials said.
The Oswego Downtown Association is a group comprised of downtown merchants.
“They suggested that it would help several of the downtown businesses in better serving their customers,” Oswego Economic Development Director Kevin Leighty said in a report to trustees.
The 30-minute time limit spaces can potentially be used for food carry-out customers and pick-up orders at retailers similar to what is available at big box stores, Leighty said.
Village President Ryan Kauffman had directed staff to research the idea of 30-minute parking spots and make recommendations for a possible policy on the issue.
“We did our best to identify potential tenants that could utilize the temporary parking spaces but we really wanted to see multiple buildings benefit from the program,” Leighty said.
The temporary 30-minute time limit parking spaces will be in effect as a pilot program, with the specific locations and duration of the time limit subject to change based on the evolving needs of the community, he said.
Village officials identified seven parking spaces to take part in the trial program, including two on each block of Main Street downtown, one on each side of the street, and one spot along Van Buren Street.
Staff attempted to choose each location strategically in an effort to maximize use by multiple businesses in each building, Leighty said.
No enforcement action is being recommended on the trial locations at this time so as to not overburden the police department, he said.
Trustees were supportive of the program, recently voting 5-0 to approve the plan, with one trustee absent.
“It’s much needed,” Trustee Jennifer Jones Sinnott said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
