BY FRANK VAN ROOY
In response to the Hollister Free Lance editorial regarding enforced parking:
“Parking availability is not a problem downtown”- Whom have you spoken too? Merchants? Their employees or the shoppers, those most vital to a thriving downtown? As a representative of the “shoppers,” there is indeed a problem. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to Munzers only to find the near by parking spaces occupied by non-shoppers. How do I know? I see a lot of contractor trucks occupying spaces right in front of their building and spilling over towards Muenzer’s. Why can’t they (and other business employees) park in the lot behind Pennywise? Why make the shopper hoof the one to two blocks to visit the store or business? It makes me consider going to that strip mall east of the railroad tracks since I know they have parking.
“The long-awaited Highway 25 bypass just opened …” So what! The traffic that use to drive through town on their way home just goes around it now. If a potential shopper is coming downtown for a specific reason, the bypass is not even relevant. So why is it even in this editorial? So again, the shoppers have to compete for nearby parking with the business employees that feel it is too difficult to park in the garage or away from the store front. Heavens knows we could all do with a little exercise.
The Free Lance’s prudent solution is for the Hollister Downtown Association to play referee or parking police. I’m pretty sure it’s been tried … and ignored. So now it’s time to get real. If you want a viable and thriving downtown area you need to get the shoppers here. If you don’t give the shoppers or clients easy access to shop or to do business, they may go elsewhere or not come at all. If the business employees can’t see this and continue to impede the access to the business, it will negatively affect their and other’s businesses. If it takes parking enforcement to allow the shoppers, client, and visitors access to the few shops and business we have left, I’m all for it.
In closing, I’m still puzzled how the Free Lance can say there isn’t a problem. Come out of the office and open your eyes! Thank goodness for the digital age. If I had to deliver this letter to the Free Lance office, I don’t think I could … since there usually isn’t any parking available in front of the Free Lance office.
Frank Van Rooy is a 20-year Hollister Resident. His wife is an employee with the HDA that proposed the enforcement.
