Private parking spaces on Vero Beach streets? City to let beachside businesses buy their own meters

VERO BEACH — Paid parking is now up for sale in the beachside business district.

Businesses soon will be able to buy parking kiosks or meters for spaces in front of their buildings. Details — such as the cost of the parking system, how many spaces a businesse could buy and who would keep the parking revenue — still have to be worked out, said City Manager Jim O'Connor.

Participating businesses would sign agreements with the city, but the city would shoulder none of the costs. A business owner would purchase the meter or kiosk and have it installed privately, O'Connor said. 

Parking violators could be ticketed by city enforcement officers, O'Connor said. 

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The City Council agreed to the concept Tuesday without a vote.

The city has been grappling for years about how to solve parking problems on Ocean Drive. Some business owners say hotel and restaurant employees park in front of their stores, taking spots away from their customers. Others complain the parking limitations discourage visitors who want to spend the day eating and shopping in the district. 

"Our parking problem is not one solution," said Caesar Mistretta, an owner of J.M. Stringer Gallery.  "There have to be many different solutions that have to be explored," . 

Cathy Padgett, owner of Veranda, told the council she would pay for a parking kiosk in front of her store. Spaces in front of her store often are taken up by beachgoers or hotel employees, she said. 

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"You all owe us parking. We're so worried about the farmers market parking. That's Saturday morning," said Padgett. "This is every day of the week. I have people parking in front of my business every day." 

The city has avoided installing parking kiosks because of the expense, O'Connor said. They rarely pay for themselves, he said. 

The idea of businesses paying for individual meters or kiosks was supported by Al Benkert, treasure for the Oceanside Business Association, made up of some of the beachside businesses. 

"I think it's a great idea," Benkert said. "It gives the businesses control (over parking in front of their stores)."

Businesses could customize the kiosk in front of their building, Benkert said. Hair salon customers, for example, may need more parking time than a boutique shop, he said. 

"I think it's a good compromise," he said. 

At the same meeting, council members backed off on keeping the Farmers Market Oceanside on the Humiston Park sidewalk and out of the the Humiston Plaza city-owned parking lot.

Last month, the council said it wanted the Farmers Market Oceanside kept permanently on the Ocean Drive sidewalk and out of the parking lot.

The directive had drawn the ire of thousands of supporters of the popular Saturday-morning market. 

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