The Old Town Newhall parking plan received a unanimous vote in favor of a second hearing regarding a “Parking in Lieu Fee” program at last Tuesday’s meeting, with the expectation to adopt the ordinance on Dec. 12.

At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, the City Council agreed to move forward with the “Parking in Lieu Fee” program, a plan for Old Town Newhall that would require new and expanding businesses to pay for the city costs of creating additional parking

Newhall Business owner, Jim Coffey, criticized the action being taken by the City Council and city planner, stating that multiple business owners had expressed their disfavor with the new plan.

“There were equal responses from the parking survey, and not all were in support of an in-lieu fee,” said Coffey. “I’m asking that you’re not short sighted and consider all the options on the table before moving forward.”

Coffey was referencing the survey that the city presented to business and property owners in the Old Town Newhall area. The survey polled owners to determine their favorability toward either the “Parking in Lieu Fee” program versus a paid parking program.

40 percent of all respondents reported in favor of the in-lieu fee while 41 percent selected paid parking for visitors to Old Town Newhall, according to officials.

If approved in the future, the city ordinance dictating the “Parking in Lieu” program would recognize a parking ratio of one new parking space for every 350 feet of new development above 1,500 feet. The first 1,500 feet would require at least one parking space.

Residents without business interests in the Old Town Newhall area expressed concern over the paid parking option.

“This is not a well thought-out plan (the paid-parking),” said Juanita Fitzgerald, a 50-year resident of Santa Clarita, while addressing city council. “I think the merchants will suffer, because I won’t pay three or four dollars to gave have lunch down there once a week.”

However, Mayor Cameron Smyth questioned why any parking plan was needed at this time, noting that the impacts of the parking structure have yet to be seen in action.

“What if we wait and see what the impact of the parking structure is,” asked Smyth. “I know parking is going to have to be addressed, but will the structure be sufficient for the next five to ten years? I don’t see anything wrong with holding the status quo until we have several months of data on the structure before moving forward.”

City manager Ken Striplin said that the Old Town Newhall plan, adopted by the City Council in 2005, was predicated upon the plan to have two parking structures built in order to handle the influx of businesses and visitors.

“We know that that in two to three years, the activity and revitalization of Newhall has significantly changed, and when the (other projects) come in that’s only going to become more persistent,” said Striplin. “What we’re proposing some funding toward a future parking structure, which will still require the participation of the private structure.”

Striplin argued that the longer the counsel delays on passing a proactive solution to the financial needs of the society, the less opportunities they have to generate funds.

The council has decided to move forward with an ordinance to establish the “Parking In-Lieu” program as opposed to paid parking, and is scheduled to be presented and adopted by the City Council on Dec. 12, according to officials.

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