West, TX (FOX 44) — The City of West held a town hearing Tuesday evening over proposed ordinances to restrict overnight parking in Downtown West and on parade routes.
The Alderman made these in reference to the Westfest parade bringing in thousands of tourists and festival goers.
There were a lot of different opinions from West community members and business owners over the parking ordinances.
Some say there needs to be a parking rule for the parade route while others say they’re should be no ordinance at all.
“It’s way overreaching. You don’t need to block parking from a certain time to a certain time all the time or even from Tuesday,” said West community member, Chris Nors.
Tuesday is the day where West business owners start to see visitors parking in Downtown West to save their spot for the parade Saturday morning.
Nors says the parking ordinances are too excessive.
“You know when people start parking there on Tuesday. Just say people can’t park during the parade, and nobody’s got a reason to park there on Tuesday,” said Nors.
Alderman Natalie Kelensky says the city made these ordinances after hearing business owners say the parked cars block guests from entering their bars, shops and restaurants.
Owner of the Tipsy Lion Bar and Grill in Downtown West Matt Nemec says it’s a huge financial loss.
“We lose probably the last two years 35 percent of sales that week of Westfest,” said Nemec. “Not getting into exact numbers that’s about $7,000 a week that week alone.”
Fellow downtown business owner of the Czech American Restaurant, Jenene Gueringer, says the lost income has a lasting impact.
“They just keep driving. They keep going on. That’s money out of our pockets that these small businesses give back to our community through sponsorships, donations for charities, or children’s things that’s going on. I mean this shouldn’t even be an issue,” said Gueringer.
Both Gueringer, Nemec, and others tonight say they’re against the year round ordinance seeing few cars in the downtown area outside of Westfest.
A main conversation point said by Czech American Restaurant employee Mallory Kreder is to have an acceptable ordinance where people do the right thing.
“Just use common courtesy and common sense that we don’t park the car for that long,” said Kreder. “I couldn’t go to George’s during football season and park my car and not get towed or not get stickered. It just ain’t going to happen.”
The alderman didn’t vote on the ordinance Tuesday evening.
Alderman Kelensky says after tonight’s hearing it could be on their next city council agenda or they may take more time to do research.
