SANFORD, Fla. — Sanford city commissioners are once again discussing the possibility of paid parking downtown as they consider ways to manage growing demand and fund future parking projects.
During a Monday work session, city leaders emphasized that no immediate changes are planned. Mayor Art Woodruff said the city is not preparing to charge for parking in the near future but wants to explore long-term options, including a potential parking garage.
“We are not looking at it just to raise money,” Woodruff said. “The parking fee would be going toward parking.”
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Downtown Sanford currently offers free parking with two-hour limits, although officials acknowledged that those restrictions are rarely enforced. The city has added hundreds of parking spaces over the past five years, but continued development is increasing demand.
The possibility of paid parking is drawing mixed reactions from people who live, work and spend time downtown.
Jason Sanchez, a frequent visitor, said a parking fee would not deter him if the money benefited the community.
“When you pay for something, it helps out the community,” Sanchez said. “It helps them with the roads, helps them with everything.”
Some downtown business owners, however, are concerned about how paid parking could affect customers.
Don Lloyd, owner of Seminole Mobility, said many of his customers are elderly or have limited incomes and already struggle to find convenient on-street parking.
“A lot of the people that we’re working with are elderly people or people who are on limited incomes, and I think that’s definitely going to affect if people come down to shop or not,” Lloyd said.
Before implementing paid parking, the city may focus on enforcing its existing two-hour limits to encourage greater turnover.
Commissioners plan to revisit a 2018 parking study and continue discussions with downtown business owners before making any decisions.
Woodruff said any future parking fees would be tied to specific improvements, such as building a parking garage, rather than becoming a general source of revenue.
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