Columbia parking committee bounces hotel recommendation back to city council

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Parking Advisory Committee says it needs more information on the proposed hotel parking at the intersection of Cherry St. and Hitt St., in order to make a recommendation.

Columbia's city council asked the parking advisory committee to go over the plan at its last meeting.

"Our job is to pass information on to the council as a representation of the parking utility," said Bill Moyes, a parking committee member. "For right now, we don't know enough to do that."

The hotel developers are asking the city for 99 parking spots in the 10th St. and Cherry St. garage.

The advisory committee met Wednesday with new capacity numbers from July, but not enough information to come to a recommendation for the council.

"We will be glad to work with them," said Mike McClung, a committee member.

Numbers from last month show, at its peak, 151 spots were being used at the 10th St. & Cherry St. parking lot out of 276. However, there is backlog for permit spots in the garage and it could take years to get the backlog clear for the hotel.

"As of the 27th, there were 91 people on the waiting list," said Mike Sokoff, the city's transit and parking manager. "On average we received one permit per month, back, for that garage."

The hotel developer's agreement requests the city place hotel parking in front of those on the waiting list. It also says if the hotel hasn't filled the requested spots 90 days to completion, the city would have to make room for the remaining spots.

The Columbia City Council will next discuss the parking situation at its meeting on Aug. 16.