The first thing that has to be realized is that a few extra stalls on Baker Street will not solve the parking problem, nor will it be solved by providing the parking anywhere else, for example on Victoria or Vernon streets. People, either tired tourists or older local folks or just younger persons, don’t want to walk the hills when they want to go shopping. When it comes to parking, Nelson is no different than a large city. People want to park in the immediate area of interest.
The solution is off street parking accessed from Baker Street. The city, together with the Chamber of Commerce and the business community have to agree to a plan which will canvas Baker Street building owners who would be willing to sell their properties, form a co-operative or form a consortium to develop a significant block. The development would raze the existing buildings and replace them with a multi level structure that would house street level shops, with business and residential units on upper levels and underground parking with sufficient space to alleviate the current problems.
One can see the head shaking at this idea, at the difficulties it presents. Some of the reluctance would no doubt be the change to the heritage visual look by introducing a high multi level building which would be required to make the development economically viable. However if the downtown parking problem is going to be solved it won’t be done by anything less than a major development. Another development like the Co-op? Why not?
Isn’t town planning these days about people living downtown, more housing, more tax base, less cars, more parking in Nelson?
Michael Freund
Nelson