To the editor:
I’ve been dreading writing this letter which is odd because I’ve been writing it in my head over and over for months while unsuccessfully trying to get to sleep. My parents used to say, “This hurts me more than it does you” when giving us discipline. I didn’t believe them then and don’t expect you to believe me when I tell you how much this hurts, but it does. It really does.
So, I recently bought a movie theater. However, along with the cinema there came a pretty big parking lot. I opened it up for the town to use freely and for free because the week I arrived I saw in the Pioneer that the downtown had a parking problem. I figured that the Town Council would see what a benefit it would be for area businesses and for events held in Market Square to have it available.
After my “free hometown trial” I offered the lot to the Town for just what I paid for it with an interest-free mortgage over a number of years. They shocked me by debating how they would instead turn it back into a permit lot and what the Town might make charging people before rejecting me. I waited a bit and reoffered the lot for 10 percent less than the purchase price and over a longer period of time, still interest-free, in hopes that they would change their minds. They didn’t.
So here we are. I don’t want to increase movie ticket or concession prices, and I dearly want to keep the doors open for many years to come, so I am forced by circumstances to go back to making the lot permit-parking-only to ensure that it pays for itself. If I let everyone park there no one will pay for it.
Sometime in the next month or so (after I get the big pothole fixed) I will be closing off the river side of the lot. The Temple side will be the only entrance. All of paying tenants of the Temple building, those who are renting slots already, and Temple employees will receive parking permit badges. If there is anyone who works or lives downtown and would like to buy a parking permit, please write to me. If you are a current space renter please contact me to get your badge and to discuss the new, regrettably increased rates for next year. We will also be changing the parking pattern to facilitate a greatly reduced open lot size for winter.
I will be putting up advisory signage and giving out warning tickets in the beginning. After the start date I will begin putting “Denver Boots” on those who violate the parking ban and charging for their removal. Those who leave their vehicles for more than a day will be towed at the owner’s expense. I will also be closing all the unrented spaces off for the winter so I don’t have to plow the whole lot.
Next summer I will be charging sponsors of events in Market Square (e.g. Midnight Madness, Community Market, the Water Company picnic) a fee if they wish to use the Temple lot for the day. Again, the goal is to be just break even, but I have to cover the new costs of signage, winter closing structures, and the boot devices in addition to plowing and taxes The badge rate will be determined by the number sold; the more participants, the lower the cost, and I expect to weight the charges more on the meridian users than the daily parkers.
I apologize in advance to all the people who will have to pay a fee or get towed or for those who have to park down in the Cole’s lot instead. I really do not want to do this, but it’s a business necessity. I hope everyone understands.
