Decades ago the city used its eminent domain power to force El Charro out of its long-time home to redevelop what is now known as La Placita. The plus, if there was one, was ample free night and weekend parking nearby.
This year that free parking was snatched away, or so El Charro Café's owner, Ray Flores says.
"All of a sudden I've got customers coming into El Charro after dinner and they are going, what's this ticket I've got on my car?" Flores said. "Now keep in mind it's 8 p.m., it's dark out, the parking lot isn't properly lit and for the past 40 years customers were used to parking on that lot for free on evenings and weekends."
Bright yellow signs notifying patrons to pay a $5 parking fee up front or get hit with a $25 fine are new editions to the parking lot across the street from El Charro Café at 311 N. Court Ave.
People are also reading…
Because of its location on the northern fringe of downtown, away from the main business district, El Charro has been in a unique position among full- service downtown restaurants as far as having plenty of free parking nearby.
But that ended when the Industrial Development Authority, which had been partners with the Downtown Development Corporation, took over sole ownership. The IDA hired Pueblo Parking Systems to manage the lot and authorized the signs eliminating free night and weekend parking.
"The IDA is a (not-for-profit) business," said Marilyn Robinson, president of the IDA board. "The fees that we receive from the parking lot go into our community loan funds that we make available to private businesses and non-profits."
Although the parking fee constant, enforcement is not. But in just for night and weekend visits, Pueblo Parking has cited 77 vehicles - citations Flores says are aimed solely at his customers because El Charro is the only business in the area open then.
"What's funny is that Monday through Friday after 5 p.m. that lot is hardly ever used, maybe 30 percent, but there must be some huge supply and demand thing I don't know about," Flores said sarcastically.
Flores appealed to City Councilman Rodney Glassman for help. Although Glassman said "during this economic recession we should be bending over backwards" for El Charro, City Manager Mike Letcher told Flores the council has no authority over the IDA board.
Robinson says the IDA has to consider other lots in the vicinity. "The board determined it was appropriate to have it a paid lot at all times, as are many of the parking lots in downtown," said Robinson.
To remind customers of the lot's new ownership and payment requirements, Pueblo Parking initially put fliers on the windshields of cars there.
"We did not start ticketing in that lot for several months because we realized people were used to parking there for no fee," Robinson said.
For now, the IDA board has agreed to put a temporary moratorium on evening ticketing at the parking lot, until proper lighting is installed.
The moratorium, which started two months ago, will extend through March, Robinson said.
But Rick Grinnell, a consultant living in a nearby neighborhood, thinks that's not a viable solution for El Charro long term. After several unsuccessful negotiation attempts to refrain from ticketing after hours, Grinnell and Flores began to consider new solutions to keep customers from paying for parking.
"I thought, well what if we just buy the thing," said Grinnell.
Grinnell said he contacted the IDA regarding whether the lot's up for sale and, if so, for what price, but has not yet heard back. Ideally, he'd like to partner with El Charro and some of the other existing businesses downtown who rent spaces monthly, to purchase the lot.
Until a formal proposal is submitted, Robinson said the IDA board will not consider Grinnell's request. "I had heard of a proposal, but we have not yet received anything," she said.
Swain Chapman, owner of Pueblo Parking Systems, offers another solution for Flores. Chapman said his company counted 94 metered spaces that are free after 5 p.m. and on weekends within 3 blocks of El Charro.
But that's not nearly enough for the approximately 150 customers Flores serves in his restaurant during a rush.
Robinson suggested in addition to metered parking, Flores consider renting spots on a monthly basis from the IDA.
"We submitted a proposal (to El Charro) to lease 10 spots, including two handicap spaces," said Robinson. "They have not yet responded."
At $50 a month, Flores would pay $6,000 a year to rent 10 spaces. How Flores would ensure that those 10 spaces were being used only by his customers would be nearly impossible.
"That works out great for some of the other businesses down here where employees work 8 to 5," said Flores. "But that doesn't work for us."
Megan Neighbor is a University of Arizona journalism student who is apprenticing at the Star. Contact her at 573-4244 or at starapprentice@azstarnet.com
