SARASOTA, Fla. — Starting in July, new changes are coming to how you park in the City of Sarasota.
City officials said they're trying to control ongoing parking challenges. However, some say the new changes would only create a different set of problems that would cost money for some residents.
For some merchants on Palm Avenue and Main Street, ongoing parking woes are chipping at their bottom line.
"People are just not coming down here to shop. They're not going to deal with us and you can talk to any of these merchants and they will tell you their numbers have drastically dropped off," said Jeremy Thayer, with Thayer Jewelry on Palm Avenue.
Thayer said that's not all of the challenges they face.
"Even if they do find parking space, they get a ticket and then come back in and tell me they are never coming down here again. The street is also covered with trucks from all the construction companies," Thayer said.
While awaiting a long-term solution to their street parking challenges, complimentary city garage parking has now been cut down from 2 hours to 1 hour.
The second hour will cost $2 and then $1 more for each additional hour. The daily maximum for garage parking will remain at $23.
The new parking changes are not only going to affect folks who visit and do business in Downtown Sarasota. They're also going to affect boaters and jet ski rental operators who come to Centennial Park to access the boat ramp.
All-day parking for single vehicles at the park will cost $5, and $10 with a trailer.
"Let's say you're on the water 180 days that's $1800 a year or if you're out here 360 days a year then that's $3600," said Parker Pope, fun boat operator.
Several operators had hoped for a different approach to discourage unsafe and rogue business activity.
"Pay-to-play with paid with insurance and the taxes. We bring a lot of value into the community that I feel is overlooked, to be honest like the tourism here," Pope said.
City officials believe the changes can fix some parking problems and deter people from taking up spaces they don't need.
"People parking on the grass, people having to park illegally or like at the Van Wezel. That's what's actually occurring right now," said Brockton Harvey, Parking Manager, City of Sarasota.
Harvey said the changes would also help increase the efficiency of the city's parking system.
"It would help increase turnover so that when folks come down to park in Sarasota, they actually can find a parking space and not have to hunt for parking space," Harvey said.
Officials said despite the changes, 90% of the parking spaces in the City Of Sarasota are still free or timed.
But some of the 10% paid parking spaces are right in front of Thayer's business and he has gathered signatures from other business owners as part of his petition.
"It just makes it worse. There is no fix except for going back to two-hour parking," Thayer said.
City officials encourage folks working downtown to use the heavily discounted city parking garage.
In addition, 80 spaces along Benjamin Franklin Drive on Lido Key will now cost $1 per hour, but the beach parking lot with 368 spaces will remain free.
The new parking policies take effect July 15.