As the city continues to grow and parking pressure mounts in residential neighborhoods, the St. Petersburg City Council on Thursday took up a proposal that would give residents a formal path to restricting street parking to permit holders only.
The ordinance would establish what the city calls Neighborhood Resident Only Parking Areas, or NROPAs. It would not create any new parking zones on its own, but would lay out a process for neighborhoods to pursue restrictions if residents want them.
Under the proposal, at least two-thirds of households in a targeted area would need to sign a petition supporting the change. The city would then conduct a parking study, and the restricted zone could only move forward if the area is more than 75% occupied during the study period and at least 25% of parked vehicles belong to non-residents. Even then, City Council would need to vote to approve any new restricted zone.
The proposal comes as new apartments, businesses and development have added parking pressure to streets near commercial corridors across the city.
Some residents say the growth is already spilling over. “If they put it in Kenwood, it already doesn’t have enough parking for the people that are there,” resident John Potts said. “So, the people who are there get impacted by somebody who isn’t even here yet.”
But business owners along corridors like Central Avenue worry that restricted neighborhood parking could push away customers. Al Green, who owns Speakeasy Kava and lives near the area, said foot traffic is essential as operating costs rise. “We need the customers over there to accommodate the increased costs, the increase in rent in this city,” Green said.
Council member Lisset Hanewicz said she empathizes with residents struggling to find a spot near their own homes, noting she experienced similar issues near Crescent Lake.
The ordinance would also double the annual residential parking permit fee from $15 to $30 and shift permit renewals from a calendar-year basis to a rolling 12-month cycle from the date of issue.
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