Provide The Attractions Downtown, And People Will Come

The Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency has the right idea about banning parking on the downtown Circle. This runs counter to the other issue of not enough parking in the area, but in the long run, and with additional parking added somewhere close, this idea makes sense.

The CRA is creating plans for Streetscape IX, an ongoing downtown project to make it more attractive and bring people downtown. The parking issue is being discussed as the plans are drawn up.

Parking in any downtown is a big issue. In Sebring, parking on the Circle isn't particularly handy, and sometimes it's a little scary backing out as traffic flows around the Circle. On top of that, some people who work downtown fill those coveted parking places all day with no regard to customers looking for easy access.

The idea to ban parking altogether and widen the sidewalks makes the most sense. It allows for more use, and becomes more pedestrian friendly. But what about parking needs downtown? That's a legitimate issue, and the board wants to open a parking lot that would serve the Circle.

A few board members made a great point that people parking off the Circle often have less distance to walk than people at the mall, who park in the large lots surrounding it. But people complain, and they always will.

The real issue is getting attractions downtown that draw people. Provide that and complaints about parking will drop a great deal.

One idea that hasn't been considered, but might solve some of the problem, is a street car that operates during business hours. For a small investment, people wanting to move around downtown could hop the streetcar and catch a ride to particular blocks or streets in the downtown core. Many communities with special downtown districts often have such offerings.

Perhaps a street car is not going to happen, but there are likely other options for shuttling people if that's the issue. With our large senior population, more consideration for something like that must be given. But it wouldn't kill the vast majority of us to walk a few extra blocks.

But as we said before, without the attractions, it hardly matters if Pete Pollard himself literally carries us from our cars to the Circle. People need a reason to come downtown. If we can provide that, the rest takes care of itself.