City unveils revised paid parking plan, invites St. Joseph residents to give feedback

ST. JOSPEH, Mich. -- After a rocky rollout of paid street parking last year, the city of St. Joseph is inviting residents to weigh in on a revised plan ahead of the upcoming tourist season.

City leaders are hosting a series of open houses at City Hall to gather public feedback on the updated paid parking program, which is expected to take effect on Memorial Day. The city scheduled four open houses months in advance to give residents a preview of proposed changes to downtown streets, including a rate of two dollars per hour in designated areas.

Tom Jennings, a St. Joseph resident who attended one of the open houses, said the city’s approach this year feels more transparent than before.

“I just would like to see us not have a lot of controversy about this parking. At least they're having discussion and people have a way to express their opinion, last year I’m not sure that happened,” Jennings said.

City officials say the revised parking system could bring broader changes to downtown St. Joseph. Mayor Pro Tem Michael Fernandez shared renderings during the open houses that show potential future improvements.

According to city leaders, about 80 percent of the revenue generated from paid parking would go back into city projects, with a focus on downtown reinvestment.

“We’re creating those opportunities to reinvest in our downtown,” Fernandez said.

During the open houses, residents were encouraged to share their goals and ideas for downtown development by placing stickers on feedback boards. City officials say many of the suggestions align with a long-term vision that could be realized over the next five to 10 years using funds from the parking program.

“This is a very different plan than what we had last year. It focuses a lot more on creating more free parking in more areas… while also, you know, implementing that paid parking fool to target the congestion where it’s the worst,” Fernandez said.

The updated plan would reduce the number of paid parking spots by more than 600 compared to last year’s layout. While city leaders acknowledge that charging for parking that was once free remains a concern for some residents, others say the intent behind the changes matters.

“Nobody’s doing this to hurt anyone, everybody’s trying to do the right thing,” Jennings said.

City officials hope that opportunities like the open houses will encourage collaboration between residents and leaders as St. Joseph plans for the future.

“A lot of the feedback is along the lines of this is a vast improvement,” Fernandez said.

The city’s last open house will be held Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. at City Hall, where residents can view downtown renderings and offer feedback before the plans move forward.