(Op-ed by Peter Children)
“The Load giveth & the Lord taketh away.” I am referring to the Park Inn Hotel; while the hotel is generating tourists which will increase measurably as time goes on, it has unknowingly cause some parking problems for the merchants located near by. Stop and think….if you operate a business south on Federal from the hotel, no one can park in front of your store. This means these merchants rely on their back doors, especially Lorado’s both during their lunch hour and later in the evening.
Now it is my understanding that in that alley behind the hotel, which according to a prominent local businessman, should be hereafter known as “Plan “B” Boulevard in memory of Max Weaver who designed it, has now laid claim to all the parking spaces it affords. In other words Laredo’s and all others who once counted on traffic from the rear…are screwed. No pun intended.
I am told soon “no parking” signs will be erected. How will that work? Will there be some sort of validation offered to the owner of the car identifying them as guests of the hotel? With only 27 rooms how many spaces do they really need…unless they are counting chairs in the bar and are assuming everyone in there drove their own car. Of course there will be gala events where more parking spaces than exist will be needed. At this point this situation has turned into a quagmire of sorts.
If you own one of those buildings that lay south of the hotel, and you pay taxes and all other city assessments levied against it, aren’t you allowed at least one space behind your building in which you could park your own car? In today’s world parking is integral to your business, especially in the winter in Iowa. I think that might be one of the main reasons this town’s businesses moved West. Without some spirt of cooperation this could turn ugly…
Peter J. Children
