Palmer council delays controversial plan to end parking requirements for downtown businesses

Palmer’s city council voted unanimously to delay a controversial action that would end regulations requiring businesses in downtown Palmer to have a number of parking spaces reserved for customers.

The matter, considered at the city’s Sept. 9 council meeting, was postponed until January 27, 2026, when a new $50,000 traffic and pedestrian access study now underway will be completed.

There was strong criticism from business owners and others over ending parking access rules in Palmer’s downtown business district before the study is completed. The ordinance before the council was RS 25-004.

City manager Kolby Zerkel said a contractor on the study will finish work in late November, which will give council member and the public time to review the information before any decisions are made.

Had it been adopted, the ordinance would have eliminated the requirement under the city’s code for downtown businesses to have a minimum number of parking spaces available for restaurants, bars and retail establishments. Customers would instead rely on existing public and on-street parking.

While the measure is intended to remove barriers for new businesses in Palmer’s downtown by eliminating the need to demonstrate available off-street parking critics voiced concern last Tuesday that the measure would instead cause confusion during special events and peak traffic hours.

Local architect Gary Wolf, a long-time Palmer business owner said the proposal to eliminate parking space requirements for the downtown is, “short-sighted and ill-conceived.” He urged the council to wait until the traffic and pedestrian study is finished so decisions can be based on data.

“This is just a band-aid approach, being done quickly. I think people should slow down and do it properly,” Wolf said.

Janet Kincaid, whose family owns several downtown businesses including the Valley Hotel, said she was surprised to see the proposed change being “fast-tracked” before parking study was complete.

Other critics focused on the city’s lack of enforcement of its current rules, which has resulted in some on-street parking being taken all day by employees of companies that have parking space available off-street. This could hurt downtown businesses because customers would not be certain they find parking, critics said.

There was also criticism of city manager Zerkel’s decision to convert some downtown handicapped space for use as general parking, although Zerkel said earlier that not all the handicapped spaces were being used.

Jackie Goforth, who frequently comments at council meetings, said allowing “unbridled” growth would lead to Palmer becoming more like Wasilla and losing the small-town character.

“You don’t want to be driving through Wasilla at 5 p.m.,” she said.

Council member Carolina Graver said she brought forward the proposal to end the parking rules to get the issue discussed. The original plan was to have it discussed Tuesday and then voted on at a meeting later this month.

But based on public remarks Tuesday, John Alcantra, another council member, proposed postponing the measure indefinitely, in effect killing it. Other members said a date should at least be set to bring the matter up again, and the January meeting was decided on as a compromise.