Businesses in Northern Colorado's Old Town Fort Collins object to proposed paid parking

The City of Fort Collins in Northern Colorado continues to press forward with plans to bring back paid parking to Old Town, even as some residents and business owners object.

The city is considering implementing a $2 per hour parking fee for street parking around Old Town starting in 2027. This would be the first time street parking came at a cost to residents and visitors in Old Town in more than 60 years.

Howard Wasserman, owner of Curiosities in Old Town, has watched the shopping and dining district blossom over recent decades.

"It has changed a lot. In the very beginning, there were empty buildings," Wasserman said. "It has gotten better and better and better every year."

However, Wasserman is just one of many local business owners who contacted CBS News Colorado expressing their strong distaste for the proposal to bring back paid street parking.

"In my opinion, it puts up a barrier to coming down," Wasserman said.

In January, the city told CBS News Colorado they were hoping to introduce a $2 an hour fee to address what they called an "upside down" parking model, while also helping offset the cost of operating parking in Fort Collins.

Currently, the city charges for less convenient parking garages. However, the preferred street parking in the city is free for two hours.

Happy Lucky's Teahouse owner George Grossman said he felt the city council was prioritizing the city's finances over considering how their actions might impact the finances of local businesses in the region.

"How will our community respond to that? Will they still come down? Will they come down less? Will it change the time of day they come down?" Wasserman asked, suggesting the city has not figured out the answers itself.  

Grossman said his customers have told him they would be less likely to come spend time and money in Old Town if they were forced to pay to park.

"I look at a parking spot, and I see an asset. It is an asset for our community to bring people down to shop, support local businesses, support local jobs, and support our community. And charging for that would change the fabric, change the character," Grossman said.

Old Town is reportedly responsible for bringing in around 10% of the city's annual sales tax revenue. Both Grossman and Wasserman warned that the decision to introduce parking fees for street parking would only result in the city losing sales tax revenue. They also said their businesses are profitable, but not significantly, meaning any cut to their income could result in them breaking even or even possibly operating at a loss.

"We are competing with big box stores. They offer free parking to their customers. We are competing with Amazon, which offers free shipping. These are real competitions for us," Wasserman said.

In a statement to CBS News Colorado, the City of Fort Collins wrote the following:

"We understand those concerns and have been actively engaging with Old Town business owners, using their feedback to help shape these parking updates. It's important to clarify that this effort is not about generating additional revenue for general City use," a spokesperson wrote. "The goal is to create a financially self-sustaining parking system that covers its own costs, while also improving access and increasing turnover so customers can more easily find parking downtown."

If the plan continues on its trajectory, paid parking along streets in Old Town would return in 2027.

"We have created this beautiful, unique place that is unlike anywhere else in the country. And part of that charm is that it is inviting, welcoming and has free street parking," Grossman said.