To the Editor:
Caribou’s Downtown Mall parking lots should remain free and public and here’s why. Free public parking downtown is a major asset for the city. It not only makes the downtown “business-friendly,” it also makes the city “community-friendly” for events such as Thursdays on Sweden, Heritage Days, Caribou Marathon, 2017 Moose Permit Lottery, and other public events.
The City Manager has said, “A very strong and good argument can be made for the continued ownership and maintenance of the downtown mall parking lots. These parking lots are always full when there are community events downtown. It is important to keep some parking.”
But free public parking is a limited resource that’s becoming scarcer. Since 2013 more than four of seven city-owned lots have become private. Other than some free (for now) on-street parking, the only remaining free public parking in downtown Caribou is the lot northeast of Hatch Drive and the Downtown Mall lots. If the city sells the mall lots, the Hatch Drive lot will also be sold, since the City Council has already discussed it. All free public parking lots in downtown Caribou would then be gone — forever!
Because free public off-street parking was one of the main objectives of the Urban Renewal Plan, the mall parking lots were deeded to the City in 1977 to, “Provide the Project Area with off-street parking and eliminate on-street parking.” It was not a deal with the developers to build the mall buildings and it did not matter whether the buildings were used for retail or office space, as both uses were specified in the Plan. It was simply to replace the removed on-street parking with off-street parking!
If the mall lots are sold to a private owner or owners, there’s no guarantee they will still be available for public use or on reasonable terms. Plus, there’s no assurance they will be maintained to the same high standards. The mall lots are very different from a one-owner private lot; there are eight building owners who could potentially share in ownership and operation.
Again, the City Manager has said, “There were some concerns raised about the practicality of the North and South Mall Parking Lots being privately owned and who pays what shares for those costs. Council should carefully consider the impacts that could cause to the businesses in the area, and the impact this could have on the businesses as a whole.”
Although the annual maintenance cost for the mall lots is less than one-quarter of one percent of the city’s budget, in lieu of the city selling these lots that are so important to downtown Caribou, the Downtown Mall building owners have proposed a cost-sharing agreement with the city and would be willing to consider any reasonable agreement.
Lastly, Caribou’s 2014 Comprehensive Plan states, “The continued growth and development of the downtown area in Caribou is critical in maintaining livability as well as bringing visitors that will spend money locally in Caribou and creating a destination spot in the City of Caribou.”
Free public parking is essential to making that happen and to the economic and civic vitality of downtown Caribou. That is why I urge a “Yes” vote on November 8’s ballot question, “Should the City of Caribou continue to own and maintain the downtown mall parking lots?”
