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Homeowners Group Backs Permit Plan To Counter SoHo Parking Woes

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By JAMIE PILARCZYK

Published: August 12, 2008

COURIER CITY/OSCAWANA - The debate grew heated as frustrated residents backed a plan to solve their parking woes.

Tired of dealing with drunks drifting out of SoHo's bars and restaurants and onto their streets, residents want businesses to take more responsibility for parking.

"Don't push this [problem] on us," said an emotional Dorothy Adams, adding that she has had beer bottles thrown at her while heading to her Westland Avenue home.

At its meeting Monday night, the Courier City/Oscawana Resident Homeowners Association voted 34-14 in favor of a proposed residential parking permit program. The proposal must be approved by the city council and could take effect by December, said Jonathan Scott, a traffic studies engineer.

The program is similar to ones implemented in Ybor City and the Channel District. It would cover an area generally bordered by Kennedy Boulevard, Azeele Street and Fremont, Swann, Armenia and Howard avenues.

Only permit holders could park on portions of those streets from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Parking would be prohibited on other portions, with a few two-hour parking spaces available on Azeele and Howard.

Each residence would be issued one residential permit and one guest permit. Two residential permits would be provided if no off-street parking is assigned to that address.

The permits are free. Additional guest passes would cost $3 a day.

Justin Hofford, who has lived near Westland Avenue and Horatio Street for two years, criticized the proposal.

"Where are my friends going to park?" he said.

Hofford said a better plan would be to offer tax credits to encourage the nearby Sweetbay and soon-to-open Publix grocery stores to allow nighttime parking in their lots and garage.

Tommy Ortiz said the permit program is needed to prompt patrons to use the free valet service at his businesses: Cheap, 309 S. Howard Ave.; Hyde Park Café, 1806 W. Platt St.; The Kennedy, 2408 W. Kennedy Blvd.; and Taqueria Quetzalcoatl, 402 S. Howard Ave.

"We have 1,000 spaces from Howard to The Kennedy to Hyde Park Café and we're maybe 50 percent full," Ortiz said. "We're never going to get people to park in our lots without this plan."

Reporter Jamie Pilarczyk can be reached at (813) 259-7661 or jpilarczyk@tampatrib.com.

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