SAFFORD — Parking in Safford’s Downtown continues to be the city’s hot topic.
The city hosted its third Conversation with community members, business operators and building owners Thursday morning, at the Safford Library Annex, and for the second conversation in a row parking was the topic, along with street closures for events.
Safford Assistant City Manager Eric Bejarano opened the discussion by detailing how many people attend various events in Safford’s Downtown over a full year, including:
- Spring Festival — 5,000
- Cinco de Mayo — 1,400
- Fourth of July — 3,400
- SalsaFest — 11,000
- Graham County Fair Parade — 3,200
- Oktober Fest/Harvest Festival — 2,500
- Veterans Day — 2,500
- Tree Lighting/Merry Main Street — 5,000
- Holiday Light Parade — 8,000
“That is a massive influx of folks coming to our Downtown area, which is great but it also brings opportunity to look at ways we can do things better,” Bejarano said.
Bejarano said the city agrees that closing Main Street too early for events harms businesses and will work with business owners to determine the best time. He said the city is communicating more — via traditional media and various social media platforms — about street closures and parking restrictions, and he asked the businesses to help spread the word. And the city is looking at purchasing a mobile digital sign/message board to alert shoppers when the roadway will be closed.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
On the issue of parking, as in the previous Conversation, it was pointed out that much of the parking downtown is taken up by businesses’ employees or the business owners themselves, preventing customers from parking near the desired shop.
Those in attendance suggested the city invest in multi-level parking structures, run shuttles to and from parking away from the Downtown, install parking meters or parking kiosks, and allow businesses to purchase/rent designated parking spaces on Downtown streets that can only be used by customers of the purchasing business.
Also discussed were recent changes to city code when it comes to food trucks, to make the city’s regulations match state law. Food trucks may now park in any single public parking space, as well as on private land through agreement with the land owner.
Bejarano closed by asking those in attendance to share what they learn about parking in other cities and towns when they are out at conferences or doing business in other communities.
“This is not unique to Safford; this is everywhere,” Bejarano said. “We’re learning as we go and other communities have been through this, so let’s not reinvent the wheel. Let’s learn from them.”
