Government Affairs
2008 Election Candidates and Candidate Survey Responses back to main Candidate page
Candidate Survey Responses – On The Issues – Each Question, All Candidates
7. Do you support/oppose the adopted Downtown Management Plan? Why or Why not?
Mayor Joseph Donaldson
I support the adopted Downtown Management Plan. It is necessary to further capitalize on the potential economic value of the downtown. However, I can not support further implementation of the plan until the surrounding residential and commercial communities are protected from the impact of downtown employee parking. Alternate parking accommodations must be in place before the plan is fully implemented.
Sara Presler-Hoefle
Parking is not solved with meters. A comprehensive approach would include a concurrent downtown employee parking plan or private-public parking garage. The County, for example, operates at a parking deficit. This needs a solution before the implementation of meters. This plan does not do that in a concurrent way. A park and ride program or carpool program is one solution to the congestion issues for downtown Flagstaff.
Karla Brewster
Yes, as it is a comprehensive package, not just a parking meter issue. Even though downtown businesses are about 50-50 on the issue, the intent is to move those in parking spaces more rapidly than is currently being done (so you can’t park all day in a spot). The number of spaces is not increased but the turn over rate is increased making more spots available. Crucial to this plan is the parking lot for business owners and employees to be completed across Rt. 66 on the other side of the tracks, making the possibility of them parking in residential areas less (thus the need for residential parking districts). Then to have a shuttle to get employees to the downtown area is necessary. The multi-level parking garage will need to be a reality maybe sooner rather than later, which will help the overall parking space issue. A feasibility study which is part of the existing management plan will help determine the parking garage issues. Incorporation of retail in the parking garage lower level would help to make it more financially doable. Although parking meters have been tried before, the downtown situation was very different then as compared to now with the upgrading of the whole downtown area. One of the pluses that I see in the plan is the ambassadors who will do a lot for tourists’ feelings of safety and the dissemination of information. Part of the overall agenda for the downtown management plan is to get people to start thinking of alternative forms of transportation other than their car.
Coral Evans
I believe that the overall Plan will work to assist in maintaining the vitality of downtown business. Certainly there are areas of the Plan that have created controversy but the overall Plan in general does have merit.
I believe that the success of the Plan (as with any Plan/Strategy) ultimately comes down to a) what are the identified measurable goals/outcomes [what are we trying to accomplish], b) was the Plan implemented correctly [did we follow the plan and do what we said we would do] and c) Evaluation [were we successful, did the plan work].
Morgan Hagaman
I would not have supported the Downtown Plan as it was. I believe that we can do better. The parking meters are not going to help and I think the million dollars to put them in could have been put to a better use. The city definitely needs to do something about its parking. I believe a garage is the answer. We need to figure out where the garage is going to go and get it done. For the time being, the City should look at Copeland Lumber as a possible parking lot for downtown employees.
John McCulloch
I do not support the Plan. I don’t support parking metes, and would utilize the existing Copeland Lumber property for downtown employee parking.
Micole Shorty
Home owners that live in the downtown area should be able to upgrade their homes if they have the means to do it without any constraints placed on them by the city.
Al White
I support it as a means to help maintain vitality of downtown businesses. We helped sawmill and the reinvestment at the auto park and mall. Now downtown has asked to be able to assess themselves to help them be clean, organized and accessible to clients. |
