Seasonal paid parking debate heats up in St. Joseph

ST. JOSEPH, Ind. -- Just six days after implementing a new seasonal pay-to-park system for parts of downtown St. Joseph, tensions are already high between business owners and residents in the area.

The western portion of downtown now has $2 per-hour street parking with a three-hour limit. On the same side of town, there's also a $1 per-hour option in parking lots further from the shops that have no time limit.

Some business owners say they're already seeing a downward trend in sales, with fears that locals are being turned away by the paid parking.

One shop owner said she now walks six blocks just to get to work and avoid paying to park.

City Manager, Emily Hackworth, dispelled the notion that the paid parking system is about money, instead reinforcing that it was about cutting down on traffic congestion.

The city also noted that there are still free parking options on the East side of the downtown area, but some shop owners worry that will create division between business owners.

Some businesses are also holding off on forming an opinion on paid parking until the weather gets warmer and tourist season officially ramps up.