For many St. Augustine residents and employees, finding a place to park feels like a scavenger hunt where the prize is already long gone.
Business owners and employees voiced mounting frustration over the worsening shortage of parking this week as the City Commission voted to hike fines for serious violations like blocking driveways.
Although the new law won’t impact expired meter tickets, some said the crackdown could intensify competition for legitimate spots.
ST. AUGUSTINE HIKES FINES FOR SERIOUS PARKING VIOLATIONS, METER PENALTIES NOT IMPACTED
Linda, a sales associate at LeatherGoods, near the Old City Gates of St. Augustine, echoes this worry. “There’s a lot of people around here. It makes it very hard for employees to get here and park. I’m lucky enough that I live close enough that I can walk if need be,” she told The Citizen.
“Parking’s hard enough here, and then they’re gonna start construction during the season, and that’s gonna kill us too,” she added.
Lauren Casatelli, a young server at Pizzalley’s Chianti Room, noted safety concerns as a byproduct of the parking paucity.
Like many local restaurants, hers has no designated lot for employees to park.
Lauren’s trek from the few available spots to the Chianti Room usually runs around 15 minutes.
That’s tolerable in the summertime, when the bustling St. Augustine streets are still well-lit by the setting sun.
At other times, the dimness can be unnerving.
The Chianti Room is open until 10 p.m. on Saturday nights, and when Casatelli works the closing shift, she clocks out out even later. This means a long walk, often alone in the dark, to reach her vehicle.
Paul is the owner of Solidus, a vintage jewelry and collections shop located in one of the indoor malls of St. George Street. Every day, he struggles to find legal parking that suits his needs.
He believes parking fines for serious infractions are indeed legitimate, like stopping in a handicapped zone.
But Paul noted that he frequently has heavy loads to maneuver into his shop, and the closest lot is too far for him to attempt the journey.
Because of this, he often resorts to parking illegally for a few minutes to unload his luggage at a closer distance to his destination. That maneuver could now cost him $100.
Carl Bedford, a sales associate at Market to Market, a small business selling handcrafted Spanish pottery, said finding a parking spot is like playing a coerced game of musical chairs.
Adam Brown, an associate of two years at Whetstone Chocolates of St. Augustine, said the city should focus on overall parking issues in addition to fines.
“Why can’t we just fix the problem instead of just trying to squeeze more money out of people?” he said.
For Brown and many others, the problem isn’t necessarily the penalty hikes — it’s the parking pileup itself.
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