Mound's three-level parking deck

This entry was posted on 12/16/2006 5:03 PM and is filed under uncategorized.

I see Mound is moving forward with its three level parking deck. The Council has accepted a bid for $5.3 million to build it. I don't know how many spaces it will have, but if its 530, that works out to about $10,000 per parking space. I am sure there are reasons why its not really $10,000 per space, and that there are reasons this makes sense, and that this is all reasonable. I am not saying this is bad idea.

Let's say the government is building the ramp. It would be nice if each space generated $500 in tax revenues per year. This might be sales taxes, fees, or income taxes. A whole series of studies might indicate that this is going to happen. Some might say that new and increased local sales are now attributed to the existence of the new parking ramp.

There have been at least two disagreements over parking in Mound that I am aware of in past 15 or so years. Dakota Rail's lot across from the House of Moy was an issue, and well as the disappearing parking lot East of John's Pet & Variety, that some businesses thought they had paid for.

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Comments

• 12/18/2006 11:47 PM Ray Salazar wrote:
  When this is built I feel it will a nice structure at least from the renditions. Although I do not like parking ramps the need must be there, I think and hope.
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• 12/19/2006 6:51 PM David wrote:
  I just can't understand the need for a parking ramp here in town. Sure it may be a nice structure but for what? Do we really have such a huge parking problem that a ramp is required?
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• 12/22/2006 7:31 PM Ray Salazar wrote:
  I agree with your comment / observation. I have asked this same question and it was explained that the need is anticipated for the future growth of Mound and our downtown area. Well, that may or may not be and we will see in the future. I still do not like ramps and what problems socially it may present,(Crime etc). One of the reasons we chose to buy and live in Mound was due to the small town life it presented while remaining so close to Minneapolis. If Mound grows to the point of requiring and using a ramp for business not just mass transit people it will have drastically changed and not for the good or at least what I want in the town I live in. It is unfortunate that a comment pole or a referendum (VOTE) was not done prior to the decision to build this ramp to determine if the people of Mound really WANT this and are willing to pay for it. At the very least council people should have inquired with citizens and week end information meetings should have been held to truly inform our citizens and get their input good and bad. I would be willing to bet that most people in Mound are not so keen on the idea of this parking ramp and if the citizens knew what it was going to cost us in taxes their choice would be NO!!! In my humble observations the citizens in Mound are happy with our town and only request more service industry business: restaurants, dry cleaners etc. Most citizens are upset with their taxes and do not want to spend more and / or have more government involvement in their lives. This of course was the foundation of my campaign for Mound Mayor, "Police, Fire, Water and Streets" the basics and that is it.
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• 1/20/2007 8:06 PM Richard Hawks wrote:
  First of all, you should both be aware, Mound is no longer a small "town", it has been a "city" for several years. Quit trying to prevent Mound from growth. A parking ramp, does not automatically cause good people to go bad, so why do you think we are automatically going to have a bigger crime problem when we build a parking ramp that people can use both for Mound business and transit users to other areas? This is the type of thinking some had regarding the skate park. Mound has suffered from the lack of parking space in the business area for years which has been part of the reason many residents choose to shop the big box stores at Ridgedale, etc.
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• 1/30/2007 9:48 PM RAY SALAZAR wrote:
  I do not know if there is a specific definition of what determines a small town from a city or for that matter a small city? I guess I can only go on my past experience. I was born in San Francisco and raised in San Jose, California. I have lived in other cities as well: Cleveland,Oh. Chicago,Il. I lived in a small town named Medina, Oh. population: 30,000 people. The people insisted it was a "Small Town". Medina was acute little town with a town square and a lovely gazebo in the center of the square, everybody was proud of that town square and gazebo. The smallest "Town" I have lived was Detroit Lakes,Mn. Detroit Lakes or "DL" as the locals would call it had a population of 7,500 people in the winter and probably 50,000 in the summer. All of the people living in "DL" insisted that it was a small town, besides being the county seat and maintaining a Minnesota State Trooper office and court house etc. Mound is approx.9,500 people year round and not a county seat and only 2,000 people larger than "DL". Given my past experience San Francisco is a city and Detroit Lakes is a small town I guess I can only call our town Mound a small Town. Maybe it is as beauty is in the eyes of the beholder? Maybe it is a compliment and an accolade to the people and surroundings,the lifestyle here in Mound? When I lived in the Bay Area of Ca. there was a town named Los Gatos, Ca. The population was approx. 50,000 people. Los Gatos, insisted it was a "Village". The signs would read: "Village of Los Gatos, Village limits." To truly get a handle on this question we should question our neighbors: is Mound a small town or a city,or a small city? When I walk my dog "Subway", I will inquire with my neighbors how they feel about this and I will comment on this again. I bet people would say they want it to be a "Small Town". As for "Preventing Mound from Growth?" You are incorrect. The true issue is "Controlled Growth." It appears that the 3 story parking ramp has been determined to be necessary at least by those who were fortunate enough to vote on it (City Council). Given the cost involved with the parking ramp in all fairness a referendum should have been held. Additionally, were any of the surrounding cities asked for funding as those people using the ramp for bus transit may be residing in those cities? Mound received some money from the transit commission and the rest we are paying for in taxes. I personally, do not like ramps and will not use them unless compelled to in downtown Mpls.or at business meetings at a hotel etc. All of my purchases are made in the "Suburbs". As I understand it the top floors of the Mound parking ramp are for the transit customers and the ground floor is for the customers of the Mound merchants. Yeah, right! How are we going to control that one? That is not going to work. It is difficult to imagine buying some hardware from Bruce at his store and then traveling 2 or 3 floors to my car all in a "Small Town".
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• 2/25/2007 10:10 PM Shirley Spraguer wrote:
  I do not want a parking ramp either. Again, the taxpayers are being asked to pay for something in which they had no say. If it isn't the county, state, or the fed, now we have the City of Mound adding to our tax burden for a structure of undefined benefit.
  
  Between fending off the school district, the county and now this, keeping the government out of my pocketbook is turning into a full-time job.
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• 2/27/2007 10:33 PM RAY SALAZAR wrote:
  Hello Shirley, it is good to hear from you again. You summed it up about our taxes state, county and now city with the "Parking Ramp". You can also bet that everybody on the city council wanted it including the new mayor Hanus. Well if that's not enough for you, hang on to your children's college tuition money because the Mound City Council is moving in the direction of a new "Public Works" Building! The city is in its research mode to see if any large property owners are interested in selling their property for the New Public Works Building! As of yet there are no interested property owners. Probably sooner rather than later this Public works building will be built and I honestly fear that we TAX PAYERS will have absolutely no say in it at all.
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