Parking in downtown Lake Orion continues to be a hot-button topic since the return of the Sagebrush Cantina.
As a result, the Downtown Development Authority had around 30 business owners visit their two-session open-forum discussion on parking last Thursday at their 51 N. Broadway office.
‘This is a democratic process,? DDA Director Lois Golden said, ‘We need to take these ideas back to the Village Council.?
Over 20 people attended the morning session, with a smaller number turning out for the afternoon discussion.
‘I thought there were some very constructive ideas that came out,? Golden said.
Among those that attended in the morning was Dr. Sam Caruso, whose parking problems at Caruso Chiropractic were profiled in the Jan. 17 edition of The Review.
‘It was a good meeting,? Caruso said, noting that the short-term outlook is a bit brighter now.
Golden and DDA board member Dick Hassberger said the immediate focus will be on education (through both increased signage and informing drivers where they can park) and enforcement.
They said a big boost will be offered if business owners and employees stop parking their vehicles on the street ? and a sticker system could be used for easier enforcement of the existing village ordinance prohibiting long-term employee parking on the street.
‘We are very limited in what we can do because of our size,? Golden said. ‘With the cooperation of everybody, I think things can be improved.?
‘We’re going to produce a brochure telling customers where places are to park,? Hassberger added, noting that educating/informing process is extremely important.
A 2004 study of the parking situation by transportation consultant John Edwards also identified education and enforcement as key issues.
‘Parking education and promotion is probably the most effective strategy in terms of dollars spent, especially to meet existing needs because it takes little time to implement and little money,? the study said.
No representatives from the Sagebrush were present, but there was little debate that the eatery’s reopening has increased the importance of addressing the issue before warmer weather hits.
‘The village gave (the Sagebrush) the variances for their site plan, now they need to fix the problem,? said Ed’s Broadway Gift & Costume owner Lloyd Coe, who, in addition to Golden and Hassberger, attended both sessions.
‘You wouldn’t have had 25 people here this morning and a group here now if there wasn’t a big problem,? he added.
The addition of a new lot on the corner of Lapeer Street and Shadbolt, could help a bit, as could the expected purchase of a lot just north of Shadbolt that could serve as parking for business owners north of Flint Street.
Golden pointed out that around 50 spaces have been added since the study by Edwards, so some recent strides have been made to solve the problem.
But more spots alone won’t solve the problem.
Golden said it is likely that somewhere between six and eight spots spread strategically along downtown streets will be turned into 20-minute spots.
‘We’ve asked for these 20 minute parking spots and it’s been rehashed and rehashed and rehashed,? Coe said, noting it’s time for the village police and council to take action.
In addition, Golden and Hassberger are excited about a potential pager/beeper system, which will allow for more foot traffic outside the Sagebrush.
‘It’s not just for one business, it’s for everybody,? Golden said.
The system would alert diners when their table is ready, but could also expand to service other downtown businesses.
‘Those beepers are going to be a big help,? Caruso said.
Golden said the announcement was made now about the beeper system in hopes that everything will be in place when warmer weather hits, especially given that the downtown is near capacity from a business standpoint.
‘We’re almost 100-percent full,? Golden said of the downtown area. ‘We’ve got a nice variety of things here.?
‘There’s always a mix in every downtown,? she added. ‘Some businesses really don’t need the traffic. But I think the DDA and Village Council try to do their best to respect that.?
‘A lot of towns would kill for the opportunity to have a draw like the Sagebrush,? Hassberger noted.
‘People are going to have to get accustomed to the fact that it’s not the same as it used to be,? added downtown tenant Tim Wieczeria.
All involved agreed that the downtown area is not likely to shrink anytime soon.
‘I’m looking forward to more growth downtown,? Caruso said. ‘It’s going to happen.?
Other ideas discussed briefly throughout the two sessions included a parking structure (in either the Children’s Park lot or behind the village offices), a return to metered parking and making Broadway a one-way street.
All were shot down because of feasibility concerns.

Park it right here!
There are 75 parking spaces on Broadway from the M-24 split to Shadbolt and around 350 public spaces within a block of that stretch. Three public lots offer 23-hour parking:
Children’s Park lot ? 69 spaces
Lot behind Village Hall ? 36 spaces
Animal Clinic lot ? 24 spaces
(on the corner of Flint & Anderson)
The village has also acquired spaces on the corner of Shadbolt & Lapeer and is expected to announce plans for an additional lot soon.