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Minturn mulling over additional parking limits

Dustin Racioppi
dracioppi@vaildaily.com
Minturn, CO Colorado
Special to the DailyTown officials are considering implementing two-hour parking limits in front of the areas on Main Street shaded in red.
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MINTURN “-Less than a month after implementing a new parking plan on Main Street to make snow removal easier, Minturn, Colorado, officials are now considering adding new parking limits aimed to help businesses keep spots open in front of their stores.

Interim Town Manager Gary Suiter said he and other town employees are outlining plans for a two-hour parking limit in front of certain business in town. The goal, he said, would be to limit people who park in front of the stores then take off for a long period of time or employees taking up prime shopper parking for entire shifts.

That plan, if approved, would be added to the alternate side of the street parking that went into effect on Nov. 1, Suiter said.



However, he doesn’t know how far a two-hour limit will evolve. It’s been broached in the past, he said, but it never had backing from the public. But a recent walk down Main Street talking to some business owners showed that this time, the proposal may have some teeth to it.

“Now people are saying, ‘Well, that two-hour parking sounds pretty good right now,'” Suiter said.

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Mountain Pedaler owner Jim Popeck is one of those supporters, saying that in the winter a lot of people park in front of his or another store, then take off for the slopes the rest of the day.

His odd hours sort of keep him unaffected by that scenario, he said, but he’s still for a limit on parking.

“I could see when it’s good to keep people from parking there all day and people are out skiing,” he said. “Especially when (the town) is plowing, and then you have another problem. I’m all for that.”

Suiter said hopefully the limit will open up spaces for shoppers and therefore invite more traffic into businesses.

Longtime valley resident known only as B.V. said in the case of where he works, Minturn Mile Liquors, a two-hour limit is more than enough time for people. The problem is it won’t be enough time for him.

“I park down there, so putting in two-hour parking, I’ll be in trouble,” he said. “I’ll have to move my car every two hours.”

Suiter said the difficult part of coming up with the plan, aside from gaining support, is figuring out the details. At what times should it be enforced? How does the town avoid mass confusion with two parking limits in place?

Those questions, details and possible dilemmas will be sorted out through meetings and discussions with the Town Council and community, Suiter said.

He would like to try out whatever plan is approved over the winter and implement it by the spring. That’s if anything is approved at all, he said.

“That gives us a chance to test drive it a little bit,” Suiter said.

Dustin Racioppi can be reached at (970)748-2936 or dracioppi@vaildaily.com.


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