Blue Ridge City Council Candidate Nathan Fitts speaks out on parking issues

The downtown Blue Ridge parking situation has been a hot topic over the last several months.  In fact, this has been on the radar for almost four years now.  As a member of City Council, I will take action in resolving this issue to ensure Blue Ridge has room to grow.

First, it is going to take all council members working together for this common goal to get any type of resolution.  Recently there have been different options considered by the current council, however, no real progress in my opinion.  Finding a “perfect” solution may be tough but there needs to be immediate attention paid toward finding both a short term and long-term solution.

Second, I have been doing some individual research in addition to reviewing the current data provided by the council.

From what I have found the first practical step is to make better use of our existing parking areas. To this effect, a hard look should be taken at the approximately 60 parking places which have been eliminated in the last 4 years.  Maximizing your existing supply of parking is a great place to start but it will not be enough to accommodate growth in Blue Ridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furthermore, parking can be increased by efficiently utilizing existing city-owned property. This utilization of no or low-cost property would be an economical and actionable solution for additional parking which would both save the city money mitigate the need for land acquisitions.

I promise to immediately take action by proceeding with a comprehensive parking plan. This parking plan as outlined above will provide relief to our downtown parking issues.  I promise to work together with all council members and the mayor to support taking action through both short and long-term solutions. I humbly ask for your vote to serve the City of Blue Ridge and I pledge to never put any personal agenda or self-serving motive in front of what is best for my hometown.