City approves parking ordinance, number of permits to be sold

Published 2:48 pm Wednesday, September 4, 2019

The years long debate, discussion and analysis of what the new parking revenue model for the Downtown Square should look like is over.

During Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting, the amended parking ordinance was voted into law, as well as the amount of each parking permits to be sold. Section 553, which includes parking permits for off-street parking facilities around the Square, was added to the amended parking ordinance.

The Board made the approval at the recommendation of the Downtown Parking Advisory Commission. A total of 240 permits will be sold, leaving just under half of the 399 paid spots around the Square open for metered parking.

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Two types of permits will be available – standard and premium – and each come with different sets of hours. Permits will be valid Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight, depending on which permit is purchased.

A standard permit for weekdays is $50 per month and the all-access standard permit, which is valid for Saturdays, will cost $70 a month. Premium weekday permits will cost $80 a month and all-access premium permits will cost $100 a month.

For the standard and premium weekday permits, there will be 30 of each available for purchase. The all-access standard and premium permits will have 90 of each available for purchase.

“These are based on what Kimley-Horn projected would be the demand for each of these types of permits,” said Tom Sharpe of the Downtown Parking Commission. “Therefore, that’s what the revenue model is, but it’s in line with the revenue model.”

Those with premium permits will be able to park in any spot that is not metered, including all surface lots, which will eventually be 75 cents an hour to park through a kiosk, and on the first floor of the new parking garage.

Standard permit holders will be able to park in the lots behind City Hall, the former DHS lot and surface lots around the parking garage.

The second through fourth floors of the parking garage, which is still on schedule to be completed by Sept. 24, will be free. The Oxford Park Commission lot with the blue water tower will also remain free.

Matt Davis, director of parking for the City of Oxford, said they expect permits to be available for purchase by early October. The new ordinance will go into effect 30 days after being signed by the Board and Mayor Robyn Tannehill.