Scarce parking and security are at the top of the list of concerns for the Parksville Downtown Business Association (PDBA).
Those two issues were brought to city council’s attention when the PDBA’s executive director and treasurer made a presentation during the March 20 regular meeting.
“There’s a lack of parking in the downtown core,” said Michelle Jones, treasurer. “In the last year there have been, I’m going to say four or five public parking lots that have been closed and there’s been no replacement for those lots. It’s not that they were real parking lots, they were just used as parking lots and those properties are now being developed.”
Jones added that parking and security concerns are the two issues the PDBA’s membership hopes to see progress on this year.
The security concerns include homeless people camping in doorways, as well as in the new Memorial Plaza, according to Jones. She added that during the recent AGM, the PDBA learned about a security program that is benefiting the Campbell River Downtown Business Association.
“That’s one of the things we need to do, is make it so our businesses feel safe going home at night and their businesses are going to be there when they come back,” Jones said.
“And then when they come back in the morning, that they’re not being surprised, per se.”
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Council was also introduced to Teresa Cooper, who took on her new role as executive director in February. Cooper has almost 20 years of experience leading non-profit organizations and brings a passion for community engagement and building respectful relationships, according to a social media post by the PDBA.
Council also voted to approve the PDBA’s 2023 budget and authorize city staff to advance 25 per cent of the levy funding to the PDBA as per Downtown Business Improvement Area Establishment Bylaw, 2019, No. 1556.
Since 2007 the PDBA has spent $2.4 million in the downtown core to market, beautify, clean up and complete a wayfinding project, according to Jones.