Title
OPEN DELEGATION REQUEST BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DOWNTOWN BARRIE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA CONCERNING A REQUEST FOR FREE ON-STREET AND LOT PARKING WITHIN THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA UNTIL PHASE 1B OF THE CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETED
Teresa Woolard and Denise Tucker, Chair of the Downtown Barrie Business Improvement Area provided an open delegation concerning a request for free on street and lot parking within the Business Improvement Area unit Phase 1 B of the construction is completed.
Ms. Woolard and Ms. Tucker thanked the Committee for allowing the BIA and its 400 members the ability to bring forth concerns related to parking in the downtown during the phases of the sidewalk reconstruction on Dunlop Street and the financial impact on their businesses.
Ms. Woolard and Ms. Tucker discussed slides concerning the following topics:
• The statistics of the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB);
• A chart illustrating the CFIB survey results related to business affected by construction;
• The statistics associated with Canadian small businesses affected by construction projects;
• A list of suggestions concerning the Canadian Federation of Independent Business;
• The comments from local downtown businesses and its impact on their businesses;
• The accessibility concerns related to construction;
• The comments associated with a comparative municipality’s downtown that underwent streetscape reconstruction;
• A potential solution for parking downtown during the construction;
• An overview of the current parking situation downtown; and
• The rationale associated with offering free parking during the construction period.
B. Forsyth commented that his memorandum regarding Parking Strategy and Free 2 Hour Parking provided some initial thoughts and discussed potential financial impacts of offering blanket free parking in the downtown.
Members of Committee asked a number of questions of the presenters and received responses.