A permanent paid parking program for two parks in Collingwood has passed with final council approval last night (April 26).
Starting on the Victoria Day weekend and through to Thanksgiving weekend, visitors to Sunset Point Park and Princeton Shores tennis courts will have to pay $10 per hour or $50 per day to park.
Collingwood residents will be able to park for free, and neighbouring residents from The Blue Mountains, Wasaga Beach and Clearview Township will be able to buy a seasonal parking pass for $100 (incl. tax).
The bylaw passed 8-1 without discussion at the April 26 council meeting. Councillor Tina Comi voting against the new bylaw.
Council has previously discussed the issue during a standing committee meeting on April 12, and the discussions led to minor changes from the original concept pitched by staff, including an increase in the hourly parking rate from $7 to $10 per hour.
For now, the paid parking is only being added to Sunset Point and Princeton Shores, and staff will be monitoring areas such as Millennium and Harbourview Park to determine if there is a need to expand paid parking in those areas.
Municipal paid parking lots and paid street parking in the downtown core will remain. Resident parking passes will not be valid at the downtown lots, only for Sunset Point and Princeton Shores Parks.
According to the staff report, bylaw officers will be patrolling the waterfront parking areas “frequently.”
The town is using a mobile app-based parking payment system, and bylaw officers can validate parking passes with the same system.
For those without access to smartphones, the town is planning to install kiosks in the paid parking areas.
The revenue predicted from the permanent paid parking system is estimated at $100,000 per year. The money would be split between the parking control program costs and the parks budget for maintenance of parks.
Residents park for free
Anyone permitted to vote in Collingwood’s municipal elections (residential owners or tenants) may receive a resident parking permit, and can use the resident-only parking spaces.
The 30 angled parking spaces at Sunset Point adjacent to the Enviro Park and the 25 spaces in the Huron Street parking lot will be designated as resident-only spaces for seven days a week. They will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis for anyone with a resident pass.
Those with passes can park anywhere at Sunset Point Park and Princeton Shores for free.
The eight-car parking lot area at Princeton Shores by the tennis courts will be reserved for residents only, with visitor paid parking on both sides of Princeton Shores Blvd. between Highway 26 and Princeton Shores Boulevard.
The town has not yet said when and where resident parking passes will be available.
