At a recent Council meeting, Mayor Lucas Cleveland gave “notice of a motion” to be moved at the next regular Council meeting “regarding Parking Rules, Regulations, and Fines in Cobourg”. His concern is that paid Parking is too complicated in Cobourg and needs to be simplified. It’s too hard to understand for both residents and visitors. He’s talking about downtown and the waterfront area since that’s where parking is “paid” – I’m not aware of any other paid parking. But Lucas also wants to minimize the loss of potential parking revenue. His motion asks staff to “report back … on the steps and recommendations to completely reimagine the parking program/regime within the town of Cobourg to one based on simplicity”. Included in his “notice of motion” were two letters from citizens who said that the current downtown 2 hour limit is not long enough.
The DBIA also had a motion for consideration.
DBIA request
- Introduce a discounted DBIA monthly or Annual Parking Pass for people who own or are employed downtown.
- Introduce a 30-minute grace period for patrons running a quick errand or picking up an order.
- Implement free parking after 4 pm from Monday to Saturday and free parking on Sundays.
But Lucas also had some specific suggestions:
Summary of Suggestions by Mayor
- Provide Cobourg taxpayers with the opportunity to pay for all paid parking within their town in a single yearly payment at a steeply discounted rate;
Lucas noted that parking enforcement has two distinct seasons: a low season that starts on September 15th and ends May 14th (8 month period) and a high season that starts May 15th and ends September 15th (4 month period):
During the 8-month low season
- All paid parking within Cobourg to be free for the first 3 hours;
- A day pass to be available at $20 with fines not to exceed $80 and that the pass work for all paid parking spots in Cobourg for the entirety of the day.
During the 4-month high season
- No free parking and all paid parking priced at $5 an hour.
- A day pass be available at $40 with fines not to exceed $160.
- A monthly pass be available for all paid parking in Northumberland for $25/ month or $100 for the entirety of the high season.
- Further that all Northumberland residents are able to purchase a monthly parking pass for $80 for the entire high season.
- All businesses located in the DBIA are permitted to purchase an $80 monthly parking pass for any of their full-time employees who live outside Northumberland county and that the pass be valid for all paid spots in the town of Cobourg.
Buying passes
- That daily parking passes are made available to be purchased online, at the parking machines or at specified vendors in the DBIA.
- That town staff make recommendations as to how they plan to make purchasing of daily and monthly parking passes more accessible and easier to purchase during high season.
Handicapped spaces
- That all handicapped parking spaces be free at all times and that the fine for illegally parking in a handicapped space be increased to $1000.00 for a first-time offence.
I note that extending the passes to all paid parking in Northumberland would be tricky plus there are contradictions between the clauses about Northumberland. But this “Motion” has not yet been passed and anyway the staff are simply being given some suggestions.
Before the notice of motion was passed, a clause was deleted. It would have meant “suspending all paid parking until a new parking strategy is implemented”.
If you are not clear on what the current situation is for parking in Cobourg, I have attempted to explain it all on the Parking page on Cobourg Internet.
The motion will be ratified (or not) at the regular Council meeting at the end of February and includes a request for the Staff report to be provided at the Council meeting at the end of March.
Resources
Print Article:
Simplify the electronic payment system on mobile devices. Utilize one parking platform like other municipalities.
So, because someone on the city council wanted to rake in more money for parking for the Highland Games they have now moved to Port Hope after being here for 60 years! Maybe that’s where I should move to also because this town is not what it use to be.
The parking rules here are confusing. As a citizen of Cobourg the $80 parking pass is excessive I think. On moving here I was very pleased to be able to occasionally go downtown to the beach in the summer. As I am physically limited but not qualifying for a medical certificate walking to the beach is beyond my ability. With the homeless wandering around I would prefer to drive to the downtown and with 310 Division opening from the sounds of it there will be even more unsavoury characters on the street.
After 6 consecutive decades, Cobourg lost the Highland Games in large part due to Parking policy and mismanagement. This June, the Games will be in a town that wants them- Port Hope…
Pete Fisher’s coverage of the topic in link below….
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJHy6ls1FNE
Guess again
the Town is raising rates to compensate for the Reduced amount of parking we are about to experience Yet it is still allowing development in the downtown core to be approved with Reduced parking spaces , .justified by the reasoning of Walking Community of Cobourg Seniors .
Cobourg s Planning Dept past and present have been telling us that Parking lots which they do not Own in the core and are leased short term
are used to make up the approval of short fall parking ie the corner of Albert & Division , yet its one of the Major reasons
people do not shop downtown and a great contributor to Small Shop and Business failures and turn overs in the core area ,which by the way Town refuses to release or track the numbers on .
3 of the only 5 core parking lots ( 2 on Albert st South of King , and 1 on Queen by the Post Office ) area Parking lots are about to revive their development proposals in the next few weeks and once development starts who knows what will become of the downtown Parking .
The Town will probably Chew up more Green space for the Tourism factor and the Beach.
Watch for it !
The perfectly suitable parking I pay for every summer will double. Not quite the ‘steeply discounted rate’ the mayor has proposed.
What parking are you talking about?
I park at the beach and pool parking, $40 for the summer. I don’t need to park on King st, it’s not a good idea to allow people to park on King St with a seasonal pass anyways.
Agreed “not a good idea to allow people to park on King St with a seasonal pass”. The $80 for a parking pass, double of last year, is just a suggestion from the mayor. The staff are to come up with something. Remember council ‘suggested’ a 5% property tax increase and we got about 10% from staff. Staff seems to have little respect for direction from council.
When will this Town’s CAO and Mayor start looking at in House efficiencies
I understand the Internal cost , benefits & wages have gotten way out of control
Set an Example !
I want a parking review too. LOL Not for the downtown but because most of the streets in New Amherst are now only permitting parking on one side of the road. UNFAIR to us, on the “come one come all, to the park as you please side” to have to put up with whomever decides to park wherever they want. Right now there are 6 vehicles parked all along in front of my home and not one belongs to me. Couldn’t find spot if I tried. Good luck with anywhere else in Cobourg.
Winter parking is in effect now. If they are parking overnight, call Bylaw.
Too bad people don’t use their garages for cars instead of ‘stuff’.
Winter parking rules only apply to certain roads. Most in New Amherst would not be affected. See this page: https://cobourginternet.com/about-cobourg/winter-parking-by-law
You are correct John, thank you for the clarification. Only collector and arterial roads apply. Wilkins Gate is a collector and Carlisle is arterial to my knowledge. there is also no parking on both sides of the one-way Caddy from Nov -March.
Winter parking only affects certain roads. Collector and arterial roads, of which we are not. The parking Bylaw is 048-2023 which replaced Bylaw 030-2022 in May of 2023. Sect. 16-1, however, does make reference to parking restrictions during a “snow event”. There is one error in Section 15-2, it reads 3 hrs. and should read 12.
Cobourg…..SNAFU!
Cornbread,
Exactly !!
I can’t imagine how $5 per hour parking charges will be accepted by visitors to Cobourg.
Do they have a choice? It is a bargain compared to Toronto.
A bargain compared to Toronto? Toronto just raised the parking fines to $75. I received a parking ticket in Cobourg and it was $160. That is ridiculous.
Yes, don’t go to Cobourg.
Don’t go down town and leave anything in your car any more
not even a Rain coat on after the rain stops
You can park on the street all day for free in many areas of Toronto … overnight requires payment. Imagine that?!
Rob,
Try it near the ACC, Rogers Centre, Eaton’s Centre, Massey Hall, In fact anywhere between E-W Jarvis – University and N-S Bloor to the lake.
Perhaps you are referring to areas such as the Kingsway, Princess Ann Manor, Bayview Village, Jane Finch, Willowdale, Leslieville, Danforth Village or Oakridge.
all are residential areas not in the downtown core.
Agreed – you made my point. Each of the areas you mention are thriving communities in their own right, within Toronto, with their own shopping areas, entertainment areas, etc… and yet parking is still free. Imagine free on street parking, all day during the Taste of the Danforth.
Cobourg is addicted to taxing parking because they have an insatiable spending problem.
Rob,
Interesting perspective.
Totally agree with you that the Town has an insatiable spending problem.
In my view this proposal is classic trait the Mayor continues to display – over complicate everything touched. Hopefully Council will reject this and not put another LC make work project forward.
Parking is very simple in downtown…
Port Hope.
Couldn’t agree more…there is an excellent example ~10km down the road. Please do not to try to reinvent the wheel and do not over complicate things in your exhaustive, unquenchable effort to dig into the wallets of residents and visitors.
At every step ask yourself a grounding question; is this in the very best interest of the taxpayer.
correct – Port Hoe has kept it simple- another reason to shop in Port Hope
We only shop, visit and eat in Port Hope now. And from the number of people that we have met that do the same I’m sure we are not alone
Parking is simple – if you park on the main street or in the waterfront you pay at a machine and put the ticket on your dash.
If you want 2 hours free parking park in one of the ‘free lots’.
I am sorry I have no sympathy for the entitled who want free parking on the main street – park in a free park and walk to the main street.
Free parking on the main street doesn’t work as the spots will be occupied by cars parking all day.
Just my two cents worth.
Not quite that simple @ the waterfront… During the “slow” months (winter), parking is free in many of the lots normally requiring a ticket. Unfortunately, unless one is familiar with the off-season break, it can be very confusing. The signs do explain the exemption but some of us find the print size hard to read and the ticket machines seem to “disappear” during these months so one can be searching for a machine that doesn’t exist. Certainly IMHO not user friendly… for visitors especially.
You Nailed it !
Free all day down town with parking pass the same will happen on King No Turn over no patrons we already provide Free to town employees as well as Electric charging to Lucy and County employees
Besides most of the Locals I have spoken with will not be coming downtown
for any reason other than Banking if the New 310 shelter goes ahead
I wonder how insurance ratings in the area will be affected .
I also wonder how long the Town will control Banking locations to keep them
in the core . They could all use more parking and safer locations for its residents and clients
If true, why are taxpayers paying for a luci or County employee electric car charge…When does it end around here???
I agree it is way too complicated and $160 parking fine is ridiculous.
OH OH we need more By Law Officers or is this a way to pay for the ones we have ? after last weeks By Law Dept Report .!
Simple —was Parking Meters right next to the Parking space not a machine 1/2 a block away in some direction you don’t know … Free parking for employees ?? Have the DBIA owners employers pay their staff for the permits and provide proof of at the end of the yr for a Tax Write off . This is unheard of in other communities . Who will stop the duplication , counterfeiting of passes Big $$$ in Scams these days read the News
The Town is constantly approving developments with Commercial space and Not enough or reduced parking as its within walk Community like the ne Harry Jame s Devel. at Division and Albert I don’t believe Taxing Citizens for mistakes, and Judgement calls the Planning Dept makes is wright
Paid Parking, Storm Water fees….yet another financial fiasco.
Let’s not forget the money wasted when they pre-maturely installed the first batch of these meters that people can’t figure out…They originally installed the parking meters downtown for the immediate parking grab – only to have them yanked out and reinstalled at the Waterfront to capture the summer crowd because the total shipment of the meters had’t arrived yet.
I can’t be the only one who refuses to pay for parking. I’m taxed enough, thank you. And there are other options.
Taxi! …No, wait.
If I am to pay $6000 a year in property tax, parking should be free, always. Period!
If Cleveland is worried about revenue, time to cut expenses.
I’m sure there are some bloated social programs we can cut.
No taxation without representation.
This Town does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem with the CAO holding the wallet. She is silent or placid and certainly appears not to understand how to run a business. Nearly two dozen NEW hires in a year where most real businesses are either in a state of contraction or freezing hiring. But not Cobourg…just print more money.
Thank you JD for my morning laugh!
“… current situation is for parking in Cobourg, I have attempted to explain it ..”
If the current parking situation requires a separate explanation it is definitely too complicated.
Last year Cobourg residents could buy a season pass for $40. $20 in the east beach area. Is that to increase to $80 as all Cobourg residents are also Northumberland residents? I have always thought a $40 season pass was a bargain compared to the $40/day for visitors. It will be interesting to learn what town staff comes up with. Didn’t they play a role in the current situation? At least this topic is something we can have a little fun with compared to the very real serious problem we have in Cobourg.
Are these the same Northumberland residents whose Mayors want to house all of Northumberland’s addicts in Cobourg at 310 Division?
Ken
Do the addicts live in your brain; try to stay on topic!
Ben, I believe that the topic is parking. John noted that all Northumberland residents might get special treatment for parking. Perhaps Cobourg should deny preferential treatment for those in an area that supports dumping in Cobourg. Do you disagree?
“Perhaps Cobourg should deny preferential treatment for those in an area that supports dumping in Cobourg.”
Ken please put this statement into Third grade English, or else I would be wondering just how addicts could afford parking or preferential treatment in parking as you envisage it.
Apologies, Ben, for confusing you. I’ll try again:
The other communities of Northumberland have refused to house their share of the addicts, petty criminals and others who are now destroying Cobourg’s downtown. Why should residents of communities who shirk their fair share of solving this problem get preferential treatment for parking in Cobourg?
If this is simplifying the parking requirements in downtown Cobourg I am not sure how one could make it more complicated. I thought residents and visitors had finally figured the current system out yet now it has to be changed again. I don’t know which department this will fall on but the impression is all town staff are over worked and underpaid. Aren’t there much more pressing issues that should be dealt with? This sounds more like a make work project to me.
Sounds like we are the first town in the world to tackle parking fees.
I need more popcorn….