City Council Meeting Date: May 12, 2026
To: Mayor and Members of Council
City Administrator
From: David E. Bennett, PW Director/City Engineer
Title
Review Central Business District Existing Short Term Parking Regulations and Potential Changes.
Body
Action Requested:
City Council discusses Central Business District Existing Short Term Parking Regulations and Potential Changes.
Summary Report:
In 2014 the City Council, working in partnership with the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation on downtown parking, passed resolution 2014-060 creating 13 short term 20-minute parking spaces. The locations of the 20-minute parking stalls were selected based on the business needs for short term parking for the service provided to customers. Also, Council per resolution 2014-061 designated a bike parking stall just south of Third Street on Division St. The City places the bike rack seasonally and removes in the winter season.
As part of the Division and Seventh Street Reconstruction and Washington Street improvement, a few 20-minute stalls were added by Paisley Gardens, and one removed by the library that was replaced with the transit stop and handicap stall. So, the current downtown count is 14 - 20 minute parking stalls. During Covid, the City delivered extra short-term parking stalls for businesses, most of them have been collected, but two remain that the businesses place out (note - these are 15-minute parking signs).
Currently, on-street parking is two hours Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The attached map shows the location of the parking stalls (20 Minute, 2-Hr, EV, and Handicap). If businesses change, staff are open to relocating the short term 20-minute parking.
In the winter when the on-street parking ban is in effect, the City issues Downtown Parking permits for the public lots. This permit’s primary purpose is to get downtown residents contact information so public works can send them the parking lot plowing schedule. The downtown parking lots still remain open to the public, and residents who are issued a permit are not designated a stall, it is a first-come first-serve basis.
Over the last 3 winter seasons the City issued the following number of permits:
|
Winter Season |
Parking Permits Issued |
|
2025 - 2026 |
134 |
|
2024 - 2025 |
112 |
|
2023 - 2024 |
137 |
A summary of parking stalls in the public parking lots is shown below:
|
Downtown Parking Lots |
Number of Parking Stalls |
|
Washington Street Lot |
98 |
|
Water St (Across from Liquor Store) |
38 |
|
Lot by Basils Pizza |
28 |
|
Lot Across from Library |
20 |
|
Lot behind the Grand |
22 |
|
Total |
206 Parking Spaces |
|
Note: This excluded handicap and EV parking stalls |
City Plans & Policies Relevance:
NA
Alternative Options:
NA
Financial Impacts:
NA
Tentative Timelines:
NA