Downtown Sioux Falls Business Owners Weigh In on Parking Ordinance
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The city is considering raising parking rates in downtown Sioux Falls, but local business owners are questioning its impact on customer traffic and the availability of parking spots.
The city council discussion aims to clarify parking enforcement rules and rate-setting guidelines. The proposed ordinance increases the allowed parking rate cap to encourage turnover but does not automatically adjust all rates to that cap.
Business owners and residents voiced their opinions at Tuesday's meeting.
“People still are confused about where the ramps are and how that works,” said Tami Brown, co-owner of Spice and Tea Exchange. “Probably the biggest concern is why, if a store wants me to patronize them, do I have to pay to park in front of their store? We need those cars to turn over, as if someone parks in front of a restaurant or store for eight hours, we lose potential customers throughout the day.”
Another business owner attributed the issue to the growing popularity of downtown Sioux Falls among residents and visitors.
“I mean, once in a while, someone will pop in, we’ll chat, and they’ll say, yeah, I gotta run, I gotta plug my meter again,” said Jill Jorgensen, store manager of Matchbox Candle Co. “But I haven’t heard anyone complain about finding parking.”
The downtown parking ordinance will be further discussed at the City Council meeting scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Downtown Sioux Falls encourages everyone to submit emails to the City Council regarding the ordinance.
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