Mirror Pond Parking.

I know you're expecting me to say something about it.

So I'll just say,

WHAT A HORRIBLE, STINKING, ROTTEN IDEA!

Ahem.

Throat clearing and a modulated, moderate voice.

I really, really hate this idea.

"Datwyler said by eliminating free parking in the lots, it will force employees to park elsewhere, freeing up space for visitors who are likely to spend money in downtown businesses."

Park elsewhere? Gee, I wonder where? Maybe where there is FREE PARKING?

Visitors likely to spend money? You mean tourists, don't you? What about destination customers who want to park, go in and do their business, and leave? Not spend 90 minutes browsing downtown shops?

So this will just guarantee that no one who actually lives here will actually shop in downtown Bend? (It's bad enough, already.)

Frankly, despite their denials, this has the appearance of a money grab. Which raises an interesting question. Could it be that the parking garage hasn't penciled out the way they thought it would? That this is an attempt to force the employees into buying a spot in the garage?

I'd love to see the actual revenue numbers for the garage, and compare them to the predictions. Could this be another case of too optimistic planning?

In any event, I don't think it will work. The people who move their cars every two hours (known by all as, 'parking tag') aren't going to change now...they'll just move the arena to the rest of downtown -- to the parking spots on my street, for instance, to the spots in front of my store!

I'm hoping I'm far enough away that it won't affect me as much, but if the employees simply move from there and disperse around the rest of downtown, it could get worse. The parking garage fills on the first three or four levels when the Churches are meeting, or when there is an event. The middle parts often have parking, but permits users aren't allowed to use it. We go to the final two levels, which my understanding will soon be turned over to the hotel when it opens.

So, unless they open the middle section for permit users, I foresee no spaces available. Bad planning.

I think they expect the average parking garage user to turn up, and park on the entry level. But in reality, they flow downward, taking up all the permit spots.

Anyone on the parking committee listening? You've got a planning glitch that needs to be fixed before it becomes a disaster.

So there you have it. Any destination or workaday businesses are going to have to think long and hard about the benefits of downtown; eventually, we may have nothing but art galleries, restaurants, and tourist oriented businesses.

My customers just want to get their comics. It isn't a day event, a "90 minute" browse.

Another indication that my store doesn't service the typical downtown customer is in the article about the downtown funds: If you take the quarter of June, July and August, we in no way approach the 50% in income from tourists that is stated; we do perhaps 35% on the upside. And 75% of my customers aren't tourists. In my store, it's 75% of the people who actually SPEND money are regulars, even in the summer. It's possible that 75% of the people that walk in the door are tourists but if they don't spend money, they could just as easily park in Timbuktu for all I care.

I'm going to have to tell everyone to use the parking garage. Everyone who walks in the door. Maybe even hand out a flyer.

The only good thing about this, is that I'll have at least a year to gauge the effect.