Quimper Mercantile Parking Woes May be Cause for WA Attorney General
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Since the automated parking system has been in place, several people have complained that they received a fine in spite of not staying over the allotted 30 minutes. Photo by Angela Downs [/caption]
News by Angela Downs
Society is in the throes of negotiations with automated technology. It can be helpful in tourism and translation, toll collection, it connects you to businesses and friends, and helps you get where you’re going. But there is a risk of developing dependencies, or incurring hundred-dollar parking fees when patrons didn’t overstay their time.
The Port Townsend Plaza was bought by Hall Equities Group, a private, full-service real estate investment, development, and property management company based in Walnut Creek, California.
Six months ago, the City gave conditional approval for a 50-room hotel to be built across the street from the Port Townsend Plaza, where the Sanderling building is currently located. There are only ten required on-site parking spots, leaving a deficit of at least forty.
The Hall Equity Group was concerned that the hotel parking overflow would use the Plaza lot for their overnight guests, and decided to start charging for parking ahead of time to deter them.
A few months ago, they installed signs for paid parking, without a discussion with current tenants like the Quimper Mercantile to find a solution that wouldn’t impact their customers.
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There is no apparent way to pay for parking without a smart phone. Photo by Angela Down [/caption]
The Plaza tenants had no involvement in the design, implementation or management of the HONK paid parking system, a mobile payment system, currently in operation at the Plaza.
The system requires patrons to own a smartphone. A barrier for elderly, low-income, and countercultural residents.
HONK utilizes cameras to track cars moving into and out of the parking lot. There is no human involved in determining compliance with parking regulations posted throughout the lot.
Customers are entitled to 30 minutes of free parking and can extend their stay by an additional 60 minutes by validating at Quimper or other PT Plaza tenants, such as Don’s Pharmacy, Ground to Perfection Coffee, Burritos Y Tacos San Juan, or Whistle Shop Toys. With an intended total of 90 free parking minutes, patrons should be able to shop and dine without concern.
Yet, the system is not working as intended. Tickets have been given to customers who did not overstay their time limit. Many residents have received notices of non-compliance with $102 parking fines. Streams of insulted parties have shown up on social media, revealing just how many are affected by the flawed system.
Hall Equity did not respond to the Beacon’s request to discuss solutions.
Many have found the parking situation stressful. People who have received a ticket and spoken to staff at Don’s Pharmacy have reported that the staff have done everything they can to help remedy the situation. “All tenants are doing their best to aid customers in having a good experience,” said Peter Quinn, board president of Quimper Mercantile.
Quimper has signage in the store, as well as a designated smartphone to help customers who need it to add an additional free hour if they need one. They also display the QR code in-store and provide physical assistance to customers upon request.
“I am proud of how our staff has gone out of their way to be helpful and caring as customers deal with this new and confusing situation,” Quinn said. “It is a big change which impacts the entire Historic District shopping area.”
The idea for the Quimper Mercantile started when Jefferson County’s last general store closed in 2012. With the mission of creating a new general store, a volunteer board of civic and business leaders gathered to ensure local retail dollars and retail jobs stayed in the community. Twelve founding shareholders purchased shares for initial startup funds.
Then, the future Quimper Mercantile raised $691,900 from 812 shareholders, almost all of whom were local residents. The store leased space in the Port Townsend Plaza downtown at 1121 Water Street and opened its doors to the public on October 11, 2012. Guided by an elected all-local board of directors, there are over 800 shareholders today.
The Quimper Mercantile has been unable to extend its lease at favorable terms beyond 2032. Pursuing other options, they are well into plans to move into a new location before the lease expires. Unfortunately, the space will not be on Water Street as there isn’t a space large enough in the Port Townsend Historic District.
Some people who have been wrongfully ticketed have contacted the WA Attorney General (AG). The more formally filed complaints with the AG as a neutral third-party mediator, the more data they have to recognize a pattern. If a pattern is found, AG will consider taking action against the business. The report can be done manually or online.
Correction: an earlier version of this article referred to Peter Quinn as the owner of the Quimper Mercantile; he’s actually the president.
