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Parking

Vernon council exploring options for largely empty downtown parkade

VERNON - Concerns around safety might be deterring people from using downtown Vernon’s parkade. The parkade only has about 35 per cent usage, council learned on Monday, Dec. 14, leading Coun. Catherine Lord to question why it's not better used.  “We need to do something to make it more attractive for people, especially if we...

The cost of free parking in Vernon

VERNON - Easing up on paid parking downtown Vernon is leaving the city with a gap in revenue.  In the past year, city council approved a number of initiatives aimed at making the downtown area more customer friendly, and while it’s too early to see if they’re working, the changes are already revealing financial side-effects....

‘Free until three’ promotion aimed at bringing people downtown Vernon

VERNON - A new promotion allowing people to park free from noon until 3 p.m. on Fridays this summer is geared at creating a more inviting atmosphere downtown. The free parking will be offered in the lead-up to the Avenue Market, which runs on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Main Street (30...

Cost of new downtown Kelowna parkade on the rise

KELOWNA - The number of parking stalls planned for the city’s latest downtown parkade has jumped but so has the price tag. In a report to council, director of infrastructure Allan Newcombe says capacity of the new parkade will jump from 438 stalls under the original proposal to 566 stalls. The original budget of $15.83...

Construction and new demand in downtown Kelowna creating parking crunch

KELOWNA - Development in downtown Kelowna is surging, putting a premium on parking spaces, and forcing the city to come up with a plan to deal with perceived shortages over the next three years. Kelowna city council will hear from parking manager Dave Duncan today who prepared the interim parking strategy based on a report...

Park downtown Vernon for free on the following days

VERNON - There are several opportunities to park downtown Vernon without plugging the meter over the next few months. At the request of the Downtown Vernon Association, council approved free parking on Saturday, Feb. 14 from 12-3 p.m. for the Winter Carnival Chili Cook-Off event. The association also requested free parking on Feb. 21, May...

Parking the tipping point for micro-suite apartment approval

KELOWNA - For such small suites, Kelowna city council has some big problems with a high-density apartment building proposed for Dickson Avenue near the Landmark complex. Designs submitted by the developer Dickson Avenue Holdings call for 90 suites, about half of which would be 29 square metres with one parking space included for each unit....

Longer grace period coming to Vernon parking meters

VERNON - Thanks to a directive from city council, when you pay for 15 minutes of parking downtown Vernon, you now get 20. Council increased the parking meter grace period to five minutes from two Monday, Jan. 12. More than 900 parking meters will be reprogrammed at a cost of roughly $3,200 to provide the...

Changes could be coming at Vernon parking meters

VERNON - Vernon currently has the shortest grace period among nearby communities when it comes to expired parking meters, but that could be about to change. City council will vote on changing the grace period to five minutes from the current two next Monday to make downtown Vernon more customer friendly. City staff reviewed other...

Vernon city councillor suggests softening up parking rules

VERNON - A Vernon city councillor hopes to make the downtown core a more inviting place by giving shoppers a grace period at the parking meter. Coun. Brian Quiring led a motion to have city staff investigate the possibility of establishing a five minute grace period at expired meters. “I think you should be able...

Churchill development gets go ahead from council

PENTICTON - An unwanted double duplex development on Churchill Avenue will move forward despite disapproval from neighbours. Residents of Churchill Avenue erected signs in protest of the development that was the subject of a public hearing Monday night. Residents raised concerns of traffic, parking and the style of housing. Coun. Helena Konanz asked staff to...

Residents tell council to fix existing problem before development makes it worse

PENTICTON - Neighbours of a proposed development property raised existing traffic and parking issues with council, and said it’s a problem that needs to be dealt with now rather than later. Neighbours who came forward during a public hearing Monday night said they are pro-development but are concerned about the increase in traffic the new...