The days of free parking in Steveston are almost over.
Steveston Harbour Authority (SHA) which owns large swathes of vacant land in the village will bring in pay parking as early as next week.
SHAs board of directors decided last week it was time to bring in a new revenue stream and looks set to charge $2 per hour and perhaps even $3 per hour on weekends.
A $50 fine awaits those who fail to pay when the signs and meters go up, expected to be next Wednesday or Thursday.
The main area where visitors previously enjoyed free parking, but will be now be charged, is the large gravel strip on Chatham Street, from the Cannery to just east of 7th Avenue.
Other pockets of land in Steveston belonging to SHA will also become pay parking, leaving the street or Garry Point as the only remaining free parking.
SHAs general manager Bob Baziuk said the decision to introduce pay parking was timely and should not come as a surprise to people.
Steveston Harbour is a user-pay harbour and all the money generated goes back into the harbour, Baziuk said.
We have expenses, just like everyone else, and need to generate revenue, so this shouldnt really be a big surprise.
We have all this land in Steveston which brings in very limited revenue. Maintaining a harbour is a costly venture.
Baziuk said SHA tried to implement pay parking when it first took over 20 years, before pulling the plug when people laughed at them.
This decision is timely. You have to pay everywhere else, he added.
Two or three dollars an hour isnt a kings ransom.
Baziuk said theyve advised the City of Richmond and their neighbours of the move and even consulted the local business community about six or seven months ago.
We solicited (the business community) about them paying a fee for an area where their staff and customers could park, but there wasnt much response, he added.
It now remains to be seen what effect pay parking will have on an already challenging market for Stevestons businesses.
Jim van der Tas, Steveston Merchants Association president, said hed heard SHA might be introducing pay parking, but thought itd be later in the summer.
Van der Tas, who runs the Blue Canoe restaurant, said the business community will be bracing itself to see what impact pay parking will have on the local economy.
Were sending out a questionnaire to our members right now to get their feedback on this, he said.
We will use their thoughts to then work with the harbour authority. But I guess its their land, so its up to them what they want to do with it.
I just hoped it wouldnt be this soon. Were not overly worried, but we are concerned (about the impact).
Van der Tas said the members didnt agree with SHAs suggestion to pay a fee for a section of parking because logistically, it was difficult for that to happen.
He said the same concerns were raised when they first introduced pay parking in places like White Rock.
There were growing pains (in White Rock) for sure, but then people kinda got used to it, he added.
We will closely monitor the effect, if any, and try to get some feedback.
