City administrator tells downtown group "Parking is a big issue for us"

Decorah City Administrator Chad Bird spoke Wednesday with members of the Downtown Decorah Betterment Association and based his speech on the results of a survey taken of DDBA members.

That survey produced a number of comments about the demand for additional parking in downtown Decorah.  Some survey responders suggested building a two- or three-story parking ranp downtown, with locations suggested that included the parking lot next to Oneota Co-op and the Decorah HS parking lot north of Decorah Bank's parking lot.

Bird said a fresh set of eyes might be needed to determine how much parking space is needed and where it should be located.  Hiring a consultant to do a parking study would be an option, he said.

But Bird also cautioned that a new parking garage would have to be paid with property taxes, in all likelihood, and that would run into the public's desire to maintain current tax rates.

As parking spaces in downtown Decorah get harder to find, Bird brought up a point that was also brought up by some of the survey responders, telling DDBA members, "Parking is always an issue in a vibrant community."