SANDPOINT, Idaho — People who live in and visit Sandpoint will see new parking rules and fees starting July 1.
You’ll soon have to pay to park in certain parts of the city. Locals can avoid those fees by buying an annual parking permit.
Anyone living in Bonner County can now buy up to four parking permits per household. It’s $20 if you live in Sandpoint and $35 if you live anywhere in the rest of the county.
If you have a handicapped placard, you can park anywhere in the city for any length of time.
Parking will be free for the first two hours. After that, it will be $4 an hour to park.
Karin Wedemeyer, owner and founder of the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint, is worried those new rules could keep customers away.
“What we don’t want is to have people be discouraged to come into downtown because they get penalized if something goes wrong,” she said.
The city says the rules are designed to make parking easier for customers by decreasing the length of time people stay parked.
“We want that turnover in the parking spaces. That’s how they make money: people coming in, finding a spot and shopping and leaving,” said Sandpoint mayor Jeremy Grimm.
It also says the fees will take some financial burden off the taxpayers and put it on tourists.
“Sandpoint residents are footing the bill to maintain that parking facility and those amenities,” said Grimm. “We’re just looking for a way for those who enjoy our amenities to share in some of that cost.”
The city is still working on installing over 40 kiosks around town. Once those are installed, the rules will be enforced by the city’s community resource officers.
On top of parking fees, there are also separate boat launch fees. You can find information on the new parking rules on the city’s website.
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