Parking meters come to Ranch

APRIL FOOLS —

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Parking meters are coming to Lakewood Ranch.

Schroeder-Manatee Ranch President and CEO Rex Jensen last week negotiated with the city of Sarasota to purchase all the assets from its failed downtown parking-meter program.

The meters will be removed from Sarasota curbs this week and placed throughout Lakewood Ranch in the next two months, Jensen said.

Sarasota paid $510,000 for the 459 meters; SMR purchased them for $300,000.

“It was a bargain,” Jensen said. “These things are practically brand new, and they’re top-of-the-line. They’re a perfect fit for Lakewood Ranch.”

Jensen said SMR plans to place the majority of the meters in the busiest areas in the community, including Main Street, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, San Marco Plaza, Premier Sports Campus, Sarasota Polo Club and Market Street. SMR also will convert about 100 of them into “mobile meters,” which will be placed at popular events taking place in additional locations.

“They’ll be labeled as ‘Preferred Parking,’” Jensen said of the mobile meters. “Guests of events such as the Relay for Life, school concerts, Easter egg hunts and church functions will be able to take advantage of opportunities to park a little closer for a small premium.”

In Sarasota, the program had a tumultuous history. After they were installed in April 2011, the meters faced fierce opposition from both downtown business owners as well as customers. Merchants said the meters impacted their businesses by discouraging potential customers from shopping downtown.

In July, the city commission voted to bag the parking meters until Oct. 1. The city reopened the program for the holiday season but ultimately discontinued the program March 5.

Commissioner Shannon Snyder said he changed his mind and voted to kill the parking meter program.

“I’m not in favor of the parking meter program any longer,” Snyder said. “We tried it, and it didn’t work.”
Despite its failure in Sarasota, Jensen said he is confident the program won’t experience a similar fate in Lakewood Ranch.

“Businesses here know it is a privilege to work in Lakewood Ranch — and so do shoppers,” he said. “Actually, I believe the meters will attract more customers. There’s a premium to pay to have the best, and that is what we have here.

“We are confident that the meters actually will increase business for our merchants,” he said. “People will be more inclined to make purchases if they know they’ve already put out one or two bucks for shopping. They wouldn’t want that to go to waste.”

The meters accept both coin currency as well as credit/debit cards. In Sarasota, the meters cost $1 per hour. Jensen indicated SMR would increase that price for Lakewood Ranch.

“We want you to feel special when you’re here,” Jensen said.

Money raised will be used to fund SMR-endorsed candidates for local and state offices.

Their Two Cents
Katie Bruno
owner, Katie’s Condiment Emporium
“As a new owner on Main Street, I can’t believe they are going to do this. My customers will spend more on the meters than they will on my wide assortment of ketchup and mustard packets from around the world. I should have moved into the Benderson project.”

Raoul Marchand
manager, Ooh-La-La Fine French Cuisine
“Americans are so pampered with their cars and their big houses. If they walked more, they wouldn’t be so out of shape, and parking wouldn’t be an issue.”

Paul Short
owner, Small Paul’s Yogurt Shoppe
“I can’t imagine an extra dollar or two would keep people from coming to Main Street. They are already paying $6 for a cup of yogurt with some sprinkles on it.”

Boot purchase complements meter program
In addition to the parking meters, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch also purchased 150 car boots for about $7,500, President and CEO Rex Jensen said.

Because Lakewood Ranch does not have its own police department, the boots will serve as the primary way to enforce the meters, he said. If a person’s meter expires, a roving patrol will place a boot on the car. The driver must then pay a $39 fine at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall to have the boot removed, he said.

Currently, SMR is painting each of the boots Lakewood Ranch’s signature green. Each boot also will feature the community’s sandhill crane logo.

“These are upscale boots,” he said. “They will not be those ugly, yellow ones you see elsewhere in the county.”