Inman Park Votes to Support Colquitt Avenue Residents Only Parking Push

After a lengthy debate that lasted for about 45 minutes, the Inman Park Neighborhood Association voted to support a push by residents of Colquitt Avenue to institute residents only parking.

The IPNA's vote at its meeting last week is not binding on the city's public works department.

But the public works department, which will make the determine will take the vote into consideration.

The department will make the determination based on several criteria that will be weighted based on several factors:

• Lack of off-street parking availability for residents
• Number of occupied parking spaces
• Percentage of commuters

What Colquitt Avenue residents are calling for is residents only parking at certain hours: 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. daily.

They say that's sensible compromise that will accommodate the businesses in Little Five Points along Euclid Avenue.

Colquitt Avenue, which runs from Euclid to North Highland avenues, is narrow residential street. Its 50 residences must share 80 spaces on the street.

That's 1.6 spaces per household and doesn't include the 11-unit apartment building at one end of the street.

With some of the homes having been converted into apartments, not every residence has enough off-street parking, residents charge.

Parking has been tight on Colquitt for years, but it's become more of an issue since metered parking was installed on Euclid Avenue.

Sinclair Avenue, which crosses Colquitt, has residents only parking but because the signage is wrong, it's currently not being enforced.

But those signs are to be changed soon and PARKatlanta will resume enforcement.

When that happens, Colquitt Avenue residents fear that their street will even get more of a parking crunch from Little Five Points patrons who want to avoid paying to park on Euclid or the $2 parking lot that's off Euclid, behind the 7 Stages venue.

Supporters of the residents only parking push say theyaren't against the businesses in Little Five Points; they want the shops, restaurants and entertainment venues to succeed.

"This is not a referendum on Little Five Points," Bill Goodman, one of the Colquitt Avenue residents pushing for the change.

"But I don't think anyone expects the street to carry a neighborhood."

Bob Sandage, president of the Little Five Points Business Association, owner of the Wrecking Bar Brewpub and Inman Park resident, told IPNA members he sympathized with the parking situation, but cautioned that more time was needed to study the issue.

"Every house on the street does have some form of off-street parking," Sandage told IPNA members via Skype.

"There's too many unknowns. It's already divided the neighborhood and we need to figure out where Colquitt sits versus the criteria."

Despite his call for more study, IPNA voted to support the measure.

The association also voted, however, to create a committee to look at the parkng issue long-term and to lay the groundwork to eventually remove metered parking on Euclid Avenue.