Authority to take over downtown Macon parking; meters are part of the plan

Downtown Macon parking will be restructured after officials approved a change in management Tuesday.

The Macon-Bibb County Commission voted Tuesday to turn over parking management to the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority. The UDA will put together a comprehensive plan that includes getting a better handle on vehicles parked too long outside businesses.

One way to resolve that issue will be putting in parking meters on some of downtown’s busiest streets, thus creating more turnover. The comprehensive plan also will focus on encouraging people who work and live downtown to use parking decks and parking lots.

There are 1,260 on-street parking spaces and 4,600 off-street parking spaces downtown.

UDA Executive Director Alex Morrison has said it would likely take about six months to hire a firm to help manage parking services. Parking meter revenue would pay for the meters and parking management. Leftover funds would be reinvested in such things as downtown streetscape improvements.

“I’m confident (Morrison) will be happy to keep us informed and abreast of all the decisions,” Mayor Robert Reichert said during Tuesday’s pre-commission meeting.

Relinquishing control of downtown parking from the County Commission to the Development Authority did not come without a fight.

Tuesday’s vote was 6-2 in favor of the ordinance with Commissioners Scotty Shepherd and Elaine Lucas voting down the measure. Commissioner Bert Bivins, who opposed the ordinance in the Nov. 8 committee meeting, was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.

Opponents of the plan questioned the benefit of having another entity other than commissioners oversee parking. The authority receives some funding from the county and its board is appointed by commissioners, but is considered a separate entity.

A resolution sponsored by Lucas advocated increasing enforcement by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and better marketing parking options, but it failed in committee last week.

Lucas said the change in management “strikes a blow” by removing power from the County Commission. She said she’s noticed in the past several weeks spaces are being freed up since more tickets are being written by sheriff’s office employees.

“People are very slowly getting the message that they don’t need to park all day long in parking spaces intended for the use of all citizens,” Lucas said.

Some officials have questioned if forcing people to pay for parking could discourage potential customers.

But several business owners have spoken to commissioners about what they say are necessary changes that need to be made with parking. In some cases, people are not coming downtown because they can’t find a space close enough to where they want to shop or eat, they have said.

People come downtown because it has destination shopping where they can visit specialty stores and restaurants, downtown property owner Jean Bragg said.

“It’s not just parking meters,” she said Tuesday. “I think that’s the misnomer. It’s a parking management plan that would include parking meters, parking garages and parking lots. It’s a plan that should make it safer ... for people to come to downtown Macon to shop.”

Studies dating back to the 1990s have recommended parking meters be installed in downtown Macon. Meters were removed from downtown in the early 1980s, and several attempts to bring them back failed to garner enough support from some city officials.

Downtown high rise to be redeveloped

The County Commission approved Tuesday an agreement to redevelop the downtown Willie C. Hill Government Center Annex.

The 682 Cherry St. property, situated across the street from the Macon City Auditorium, could be repurposed into apartments and commercial space. The 11-story building is now occupied by government and commercial offices.

The building’s redevelopment still hinges on the property receiving historic tax credits. If the tax credits are awarded, then Integrity Development Partners will purchase the building for $1 million.

Plans are to have 40 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments and penthouse suites, ranging in size from 600 square feet to about 2,000 square feet.

When the building opened in 1941, it was dominant on the Macon skyline. In earlier times it was known as the Bankers Insurance Building and the Southern Trust Building.

This story was originally published November 15, 2016 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Authority to take over downtown Macon parking; meters are part of the plan."