Lost cars, changing prices, other troubles could lead to new parking rules at fair time
People who offer parking on their property during the Washington State Fair in Puyallup might have to do a few things differently this fall.
The Puyallup City Council will vote Tuesday, March 26, on whether standards should be imposed on temporary fair parking lots. Standards could include having a readable sign that shows the cost of parking, among other things.
Changes are being considered due to parking complaints local police have been receiving from fairgoers.
The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on the fifth floor of City Hall at 333 S. Meridian.
Those who cannot attend the meeting in person can watch virtually at cityofpuyallup.org/meetings or bit.ly/45iUPQM. The Zoom webinar ID is 814 4894 2022 and the passcode is 488406.
There is a citizen-comment period toward the beginning of the meeting. Public comments also can be submitted to info@puyallupwa.gov by 5:30 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
Under the proposed amendments, temporary fair parking lots would be required to have signs that customers can read before entering the lot. The parking fee would be required to be shown on the signs. Lot operators also would be required to give every customer a printed or electronic record that shows the location of the lot.
Before obtaining a temporary fair parking license, lot operators would be required to give the city information that shows “adequate safe ingress and egress” at the lot, according to the amendments. The $37.50 license fee, which has been in the city code for the last 10-15 years, is also no longer in effect.
City Council had a first reading on the proposed amendments March 12.
Council members Lauren Adler, Julie Door, Ned Witting, Renne Gilliam, Deputy Mayor Dennis King and Mayor Jim Kastama voted in favor of moving the amendments to a second reading. Council member Dean Johnson voted against it.
“If they don’t have a license, there’s very little we can do to ensure that they actually are following the rules,” Puyallup Police Chief Scott Engle said during the March 12 council meeting.
In fall 2023 the Puyallup Police Department received complaints from fairgoers who felt that the price to park changed upon arriving at a lot, Engle said. He has seen some temporary fair parking lots that do not post prices, he said.
Engle said during the council meeting it is a “daily occurrence” for fairgoers to forget where they park after going to the fair. He said the amendments would ensure everyone is safe.
Johnson said that temporary fair parking lots that have 15 or fewer spots should be exempt from getting a license because it is tedious.
“It’s bureaucracy at its finest,” Johnson said.
City Clerk Dan Vessels Jr. said that the license application can be completed online. Lot operators could receive their license by email within 10 minutes, he said.
Puyallup resident Heidi Blakeslee told The News Tribune that her family has been offering parking for fairgoers since she was 6 years old. Her parking lot is near the fair’s Red Gate.
Blakeslee said offering fair parking can be a good source of income for some, and it is hard work. Some yards can get muddy and torn up easily, she said, and it can take a whole month for grass to come back.
Blakeslee said she wonders how the city will keep track of properties that offer parking for fairgoers versus properties that just have family and friends over.
Door asked a similar question during the council meeting.
Engle said he was unsure how many residents allow family members to park on their property versus residents who charge. However, he has seen a “great, great, great majority” of residents using their property to charge fairgoers, he said.
The Rev. Sarah Almanza told The News Tribune that First Christian Church of Puyallup already has signs that clearly show the fee to park. The church also has cards that show its address, she said.
“I’m a big believer of accessibility,” Almanza said.
Engle said the city would notify the community about the changes through social media. The police department also would go door-to-door in April and inform residents within a seven to eight-mile radius of the fair.
This story was originally published March 24, 2024 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Lost cars, changing prices, other troubles could lead to new parking rules at fair time."
