Does Downtown Norcross Need More Parking?

For some city meetings now, the Norcross City Council has debated and considered the issue of adding parking spaces downtown. At the latest , the proposal came up again, specifically for Wingo Street and Norcross City Hall.

As shown in the images posted, a string of 22 parking spots would be created along the railroad tracks across 60 Wingo Street, and the parking lot to the left of city hall would be reconstructed and leveled so that it could hold 18 total spots instead of its current seven spaces.

"This is just another way to add more parking space [and] increase connectivity," said Kaul. "It's safe, and it stops the traffic flow."

Do you think the city of Norcross needs more parking spaces? Tell us in the comments.

Spearheaded by Councilman Ross Kaul, who announced last week, believes that the city should act upon adding the spaces now.

He reasoned that as the city develops the ideas in the updated Livable Centers Initiative, which is now completed and on the agenda for the upcoming September city council meeting, the city is going to need more parking.

If these parking lots are constructed soon, the city could avoid the parking solution mapped out in the LCI study: a parking deck stretching from to Wingo Street.

Some of the councilmen raised concerns on if the project is worth it. According to the policy work session agenda, the construction of the Wingo Street parking lot would be $9,670 and $28,100 for city hall's lot.

Another major concern was the demolition of old trees. There would be at least nine old magnolia trees that would have to be taken down in order to build the parking lots, according to Councilman Charlie Riehm.

Kaul said he spoke with the city's Public Works and Utilities department and they said the trees would be able to be moved. Each tree would cost $650 if it's relocated, though, and it only has a 50 percent chance of survival.

Downtown areas that have lost trees, such as Thrasher Park, could benefit from this, Kaul suggested.

Riehm still didn't agree with the parking proposal.

"Moving the trees makes no sense," said Charlie Riehm. "The point is to save those trees and preserve the visual ambience of the [area]."

Riehm also reiterated that the LCI study does not state that adding parking is a critical need for Norcross right now.

Additionally, there's also a proposal to turn the gravel lot along North Peachtree and Holcomb Bridge Road into a paved parking lot, which would hold 48 spaces. Councilmembers noted, though, that visitors are already using that lot, so converting it from gravel to pavement wouldn't truly change anything.

The Norcross Station Cafe's lease on its parking lot will expire soon, so it could possibly be converted to general parking for the city.

Mayor Bucky Johnson pointed out that 3,800 people work in the city of Norcross, and because downtown has so many restaurants now, parking can be difficult during lunch and dinner time.

But Councilman Andrew Hixson, who's also running for a third term on the council, reasoned that people who come to Norcross aren't going to go somewhere else just because they can't find a parking spot right next to their destination.

"If I'm investing the time to go to downtown Norcross, and I have an hour for lunch, I'm not leaving downtown Norcross because I can't find a parking spot," he reasoned. "I'm finding a parking spot."

At the end of the policy work session, the mayor asked that the parking spaces for Wingo and city hall should be considered as separate proposals for the September city council meeting. The only parking item listed on the September agenda is for city hall, though, not Wingo Street.

Do you think adding spaces to Wingo Street and City Hall is a good decision for the city of Norcross? Tell us in the comments.

See also:

Don’t miss any Norcross news. Subscribe to Norcross Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.