Pay parking at beach in Penticton

[Thinktank]

It is not necessarily the amount the parking costs, but the hassle, inconvenience...

But on the positive side, parking meters will discourage riffraff in summer time, who pick fruit during the day from using Okanagan Lake to shower in. Those riffraff are not good for attracting rich people to the new hotel. So now, instead of going to the lake to relax, they will take their $2.00 they would spend on parking, and go to the new Casino. Penticton will benefit by getting more jobs.

And in fall, winter and spring, local people will just not park on the lake anymore. It will look like a ghost town in winter. Local people will stay home and get bored. Then they will go to our new Casino and spend $100. It's a win win situation.

Thanks Penticton city council, for looking out for us.

[southy]

Hey Thinktank - I'm from the suburbs to the east and I pick fruit and I have been known to have the odd bath in Okanagan Lake ... the part you need to know is financially I'm doing quite well thank you. Riffraff!! Come on now ... where's your political correctness!! Is this even necessary????

[twobits]

I have stood on your beautiful beach with my feet in the sand watching the sunset over the mountains with a light summer breeze coming down the lake - oh hang on I gotta go plug the meter or they will tow my vehicle away...

I am seriously on the fence about paid parking on the beach. But in reading your post, where you say that the cost of parking is not an issue, but the stress while having your feet in the sand watching a sunset and having to worry about your loonie for two hrs of sunset just doesn't tug at my heart strings. Sunsets don't last that long and if ya want to stay another two hours.....throw another buck in the meter and get over it. Maybe go for dinner while you are there. At the coast no one seems to have a problem paying 10 bucks to park to go for dinner or to see a movie. Somehow a buck or two here is unreasonable???
My problem is with the differentiation of seasons and locals use of their own beaches. As a local I am happy to buck up for prime spots in the summer both to avoid abuse and gain revenue. I get that. Supply and demand. But when demand wanes, fee's should change. To me it is no more difficult than saying free parking after 6pm downtown. Who doesn't get that?

[lasnomadas]

Go ask the citizens of WhiteRock what's happened to the businesses on their waterfront since the City started gouging with their paid parking. The whole Marine Drive area has literally become a ghost town, even the pub closed down.

Is this what you want to happen in Penticton?

[lcpp64]

I have stood on your beautiful beach with my feet in the sand watching the sunset over the mountains with a light summer breeze coming down the lake - oh hang on I gotta go plug the meter or they will tow my vehicle away...

I am seriously on the fence about paid parking on the beach. But in reading your post, where you say that the cost of parking is not an issue, but the stress while having your feet in the sand watching a sunset and having to worry about your loonie for two hrs of sunset just doesn't tug at my heart strings. Sunsets don't last that long and if ya want to stay another two hours.....throw another buck in the meter and get over it. Maybe go for dinner while you are there. At the coast no one seems to have a problem paying 10 bucks to park to go for dinner or to see a movie. Somehow a buck or two here is unreasonable???
My problem is with the differentiation of seasons and locals use of their own beaches. As a local I am happy to buck up for prime spots in the summer both to avoid abuse and gain revenue. I get that. Supply and demand. But when demand wanes, fee's should change. To me it is no more difficult than saying free parking after 6pm downtown. Who doesn't get that?

Dear "Seriously" (AKA twobits)

If you are "seriously" on the fence why are you posting your opinions and criticisms of my post? The sunset scenario was clearly written for effect to quickly paint a picture of destroying a perfect moment by worrying about "pay parking" for a tourist. I think you have missed the major point of my post & only focused upon "plug the meter with a buck or two as it isn't unreasonable".

So I will reiterate for you IMO;
This "Pay Parking" is just another form of TAX & I believe this will have an effect on the adjacent motels & tourist types of businesses in the summertime. I'm a long term tourist in your town "summer season mostly" & I am telling you this will have an effect. I see a post about "White Rock" & a warning same as mine!

Instead of thinking only how this effects you as a "happy to buck up" local, why not consider the adjacent businesses, employers, and tourist employees of your fine town. What does your local tourism industry say about this parking fee & fine system that is to be implemented? Who knows maybe they would like an increased hotel tax also?

"Supply & Demand"; You have way more faith in the political machine then I. After all the Canadian imposed "Income Tax" was suppose to be temporary (although I suppose one could argue that Canada just has not repealed it YET)

With this new system; is it an efficient way to increase municipal revenue? Is there a contractor involved? Is that contractor local or is a good part of the additional revenue shipped out to some other country "say Germany"? Is this being implemented to generate revenue or to control parking (cause you can have time limits with out having to pay)?

"On the coast we enjoy paying 10 bucks to park" - Nope we don't - We prefer free parking on the coast!! - Reference White Rock

On another note; on a different post I read a comment about "fruit picking riffraff". I don't live in Penticton so I won't pretend to understand the problems you have there, but that comment discussed me. I have never been a fruit picker, but I have performed farm work when I was younger & it is hard work (& I liked to take a dip in the local lake after a hard days work). A big part of the Okanagan's tourism is Agri-Tourism. Ask the local farmers if they could function without the fruit pickers? I don't think it is fair to label them as riffraff.

[Thinktank]

[
Ask the local farmers if they could function without the fruit pickers? I don't think it is fair to label them as riffraff.

Here's a video by JCV Dude talking about farm workers. It's right on topic when it comes to pay parking
at Okanagan Lake, because the pay parking is similar to the way poor farm workers are underpaid. (and used like dogs)

Free parking is the "BEST ADVERTISING EVER" for tourism here. How dumb can the mayor of Penticton be?
But I know why he's doing it - it's the trend everywhere in the world, to tax and screw over the poor, for the benefit of the rich.


How dumb can the mayor of Penticton be?


..

[southy]

Off Topic

[Thinktank]

Remember the time some complete simpleton goofball in the BC government decided Sunoka Beach (and other parks in BC) was so valuable, that people should pay to park there? I hated that. Big corporations and billionaires get tax breaks that amount to $millions, and my government wanted to scrape an extra $2.00 off me each time I park in a parking lot. it's the principle of the thing. And it's the money. Charging me "per minute" to park on a parking lot in BC, a rich province bigger than most countries.

So we paid to park at Sunoka for a year, and then someone else in the government, who had much more brains and common sense came along and put it back to the way it was before - FREE. It's the best advertising a tourist area like Penticton can get. Free parking.
FREE for local people. Every day. All year.
FREE for all BC people.
FREE for tourists from anywhere in the world. so they can tell their friends to come here.

I don't want to pay an extra $50 a year to park in front of my own lake. I pay taxes - it's my lake. I don't want to pay "per minute" to swim in my own lake. If billionaires and corporations can get tax breaks amounting to $millions in resource rich British Columbia, I think ordinary tourists who are not rich and local people can get one tiny "tax break" of $2.00 every time they want to go for a swim. In the long term it will be better for everyone.

What kind of insanity is this City Council trying to pull off? How many $millions do we still lose each year on the SOEC, I wonder?

If it's true that the piece rate for picking tomatoes in (Florida) the fields is about 50 cents for 32 pounds, a rate that hasn’t changed in over 50 years, that's a crime. The rich getting richer by using farm workers as slaves, is almost as bad as putting up parking meters on Okanagan Lake. In my opinion.

I can't wait until Penticton City Council is replaced.


http://scienceblogs.com/thepumphandle/2 ... y-know-it/


..

[twobits]

Dear "Seriously" (AKA twobits)

If you are "seriously" on the fence why are you posting your opinions and criticisms of my post? The sunset scenario was clearly written for effect to quickly paint a picture of destroying a perfect moment by worrying about "pay parking" for a tourist. I think you have missed the major point of my post & only focused upon "plug the meter with a buck or two as it isn't unreasonable".

So I will reiterate for you IMO;
This "Pay Parking" is just another form of TAX & I believe this will have an effect on the adjacent motels & tourist types of businesses in the summertime. I'm a long term tourist in your town "summer season mostly" & I am telling you this will have an effect. I see a post about "White Rock" & a warning same as mine!

Instead of thinking only how this effects you as a "happy to buck up" local, why not consider the adjacent businesses, employers, and tourist employees of your fine town. What does your local tourism industry say about this parking fee & fine system that is to be implemented? Who knows maybe they would like an increased hotel tax also?

"Supply & Demand"; You have way more faith in the political machine then I. After all the Canadian imposed "Income Tax" was suppose to be temporary (although I suppose one could argue that Canada just has not repealed it YET)

With this new system; is it an efficient way to increase municipal revenue? Is there a contractor involved? Is that contractor local or is a good part of the additional revenue shipped out to some other country "say Germany"? Is this being implemented to generate revenue or to control parking (cause you can have time limits with out having to pay)?

"On the coast we enjoy paying 10 bucks to park" - Nope we don't - We prefer free parking on the coast!! - Reference White Rock

On another note; on a different post I read a comment about "fruit picking riffraff". I don't live in Penticton so I won't pretend to understand the problems you have there, but that comment discussed me. I have never been a fruit picker, but I have performed farm work when I was younger & it is hard work (& I liked to take a dip in the local lake after a hard days work). A big part of the Okanagan's tourism is Agri-Tourism. Ask the local farmers if they could function without the fruit pickers? I don't think it is fair to label them as riffraff.

You said it was not the cost of parking, it was the "stress" of having to plunk a coin in the machine that interrupted your feet in the water experience. Lol, it's going to be a ticket spitter so buy four hours to relieve your stress.

I did not say you "enjoyed" paying 10 bucks to park at home to see a movie or go for dinner. I said it was an accepted reality. Does having to pay for parking at the coast stress you out there too when the entree was delayed and dessert might be compromised by your parking.

I am on the fence about paid parking because I think it could be made seasonal. I don't think the local businesses will suffer one bit from paid parking. I don't believe for one minute that tourist or local is going to make a decision to go for dinner or not based on a two buck parking charge. Why I am on the fence is local taxpayers having to pay for parking when there are abundant spots in the off season. The local taxpayers pay for the upkeep of these public amenities and there shuld at the least be a perk for them to park for free when demand for spots is readily available.

What in hades does fruit pickers have to do with the topic? If you want to attack me personally on the subject, post a reply in the appropriate forum.

[XT225]

Go ask the citizens of WhiteRock what's happened to the businesses on their waterfront since the City started gouging with their paid parking. The whole Marine Drive area has literally become a ghost town, even the pub closed down.

Is this what you want to happen in Penticton?

I have been to White Rock and seen first hand what their pay parking is doing to tourism and businesses (some are closing) and I won't be going back there anytime soon. This isn't what we want here. Penticton should be doing everything they can to encourage tourism. I wonder if they charge those who come to Hockey School for parking? Obviously it would be a sorry topic, so they avoid it. Same should apply to our beaches. The Loco Landing and Coyote Cruises will either suffer hugely this year or else people will just park on Residential side streets (or Lakeshore, until they meter that as well). Our city should ask their MLA about pay parking at Sunoka and why it was implemented and why it was removed shortly afterwards. Our council doesn't seem to be able to learn anything; even from others who have gone through similar experiences. The Election of 2018 cannot come soon enough.

[twobits]

Sorry but blaming the failure of those beach front restaurants in White Rock had squat to do with paid parking. They were derelict and so was the pub. What closed those places was the value of the real estate, not paid parking.
The same is inevitable for those 60 yr old motels and the restaurants built from the front two units of the motel on the Lake Strip.

[XT225]

Sorry but blaming the failure of those beach front restaurants in White Rock had squat to do with paid parking. They were derelict and so was the pub. What closed those places was the value of the real estate, not paid parking.
The same is inevitable for those 60 yr old motels and the restaurants built from the front two units of the motel on the Lake Strip.

I agree with you on one thing: those 60 yr old motels and restaurants here could very well close soon; but pay parking will be the final nail that does it, should that happen. I know that a lot of folks won't frequent the businesses if they have to pay; they will just go to one of the strip malls or main mall in town where its free. I honestly doubt that the city will install metering before the next Municipal Election; it would end any chance of their being re-elected.

ETA: what IS indeed odd, is that there has been zero talk lately about installing meters on Main street AND the ones that were in the 100 block were removed and moved to Martin or Winnipeg Streets. I wonder if the mayor doesn't want pay parking to hurt his business? (or is it his wifes)?

[lcpp64]

I have posted my opinions here that implementing Pay Parking for the public beaches would be bad for tourism. My opinions were based upon the fact I am often a tourist in your beautiful town and I like Free Parking because I don't have to worry about the hassle of parking meters and fines weighing on my mind (Im on vacation & want to just enjoy carefree). I believe if Pay Parking is implemented it will have an effect on your tourism industry.

So, I decided to perform a quick internet research to see if "Tourists" feel the same way in general and specifically in regards to Penticton. In general I have found that tourists feel "nickel & dimed" by pay parking in tourist towns the size of Penticton, and it has a negative unwelcoming effect on tourists. Don't take my word for it, please research for yourself on the internet.

City of Penticton "Parks & Recreation" performed a survey that both tourists and locals took part (October 26, 2016). I will attempt to attach a link here. Rated top 4 out of 33 items needed MORE / FREE PARKING.

If you want to believe it or not folks - This is an issue and a bone of contention with tourists and it is number 2 with locals based upon the stats on that survey report.

Now I am a novice posting on your forum, & judging from recent past experience I fully expect criticism of this post. But if you actually care about this matter I urge you to perform your own research on this topic and draw your own conclusions based upon facts - not forum opinions. This survey report is an excellent start & is very telling (in particular are the comments section - yup they posts the surveyors comments).

Have Fun !!

[lcpp64]

I will attempt to include the website the survey form is on;



http://www.shapeyourcitypenticton.ca/ha ... 7/download

[Thinktank]

It's the cost. I don't want to pay $5.00 to park twice on one day

It's the stress. I don't want to worry. it's a beach for Christs sake.

It's the principle of the thing. I must pay to swim in my own lake, when a mistake by City of Penticton resulted in loss of $thousands of electricity to a local hotel.

It's bad for tourism.

And what's this I hear? No more free parking at Coyote Cruises? That means people who use the bike path on the river channel must now park on side streets, or pay to go for a bike ride. What is wrong with the city council? Now, whoever wants to go for a bike ride on one of the nicer bike paths in one of the nicest cities in Canada must pay by the minute, but whoever wants to go to the Casino can park for FREE FREE FREE. Tax a healthy lifestyle and subsidize gambling. No wonder the geniuses wanted a waterslide on Skaha.

What is wrong with City Council? They're backwards. They might as well have built a prison right on top of Munson Mountain.