The St. Petersburg City Council will consider on May 26 a new ordinance that would allow neighborhoods to seek resident-only parking restrictions in areas affected by overflow from nearby businesses and commercial corridors.
Under the proposal, residents within an approved area could apply for residential parking permits for each vehicle registered to their home. The ordinance would amend the city’s parking code, creating a process for neighborhoods outside existing permit zones near downtown to request resident-only restrictions by petition. It also proposes raising the annual residential parking permit fee from $15 to $30.
According to agenda documents prepared by Transportation & Parking Management Director Evan Mory, St. Petersburg’s current residential parking permit program began in 1992 with downtown areas between 5th Avenue North and 5th Avenue South. The program expanded in 2018 and 2019, but city staff say issues with overflow business-related parking now extend beyond downtown. “Businesses continue to open and expand along various commercial corridors, major roadways, and in pockets along lower-volume roadways in the City, while neighborhoods continue to experience challenges with overflow customer and employee parking,” Mory wrote.
The proposed ordinance does not establish any specific resident-only area immediately but instead creates a formal path for neighborhoods seeking such restrictions through a petition showing support from at least two-thirds of households in the area. If successful, the Parking Operations Division would conduct a study; if more than 75% of spaces are occupied during observation periods and at least 25% of vehicles belong to nonresidents, staff may recommend designation as a resident-only zone for City Council consideration.
Residents within approved areas could apply for permits covering their vehicles as well as up to three annual visitor permits per household. Commercial service vehicles such as contractors or delivery services could park up to two hours in these zones. Spaces directly abutting commercial properties would not be eligible for resident-only designation under this proposal.
The council is scheduled for an initial reading Thursday; if approved, it will return for second reading and public hearing tentatively planned for June 11.
