parking

Mandating parking with new development comes with negative consequences including a reduction in housing, higher home costs and an increase in congestion, a planner told members of the Missoula City Council on Wednesday.

While the Missoula City Council has no say in the matter, on Monday night it took comment from several individuals opposed to a University of Montana plan to expand parking on campus.

The Missoula Parking Commission this month will consider the recommendations of a recent study that would change the way parking is managed downtown and increase fees for both permit and hourly parking.

The Missoula Parking Commission closed an open position this week by naming one of its own to serve as the new parking services director.

Dave Stalling writes, "I do not understand why we have disabled parking spots and fines for those who illegally park in them if the regulations are ignored and not enforced. In the meantime, people such as my son Cory suffer."

The city's newest director of Parking Services announced his plans to leave the job for a new opportunity in Missoula, the city said Thursday.

Robbie Liben writes, "Missoula, like all US cities, has vast swaths of excess parking spaces. It is due to our wasteful and archaic zoning laws which for over 50 years have required arbitrary parking mandates within all private residential and commercial development and redevelopment projects."

Bill Van Horn writes, "Having read Daniel Carlino’s latest letter to the editor, I would advise him not to quit his day job: poetry is not his forte."

Daniel Carlino writes, "Will the status quo continue with more parking mandates?"

While the city's efforts to rewrite its building and zoning codes is only five months old, members of the City Council are already expressing disagreement on what should take precedence and how quickly the process should play out.