Parking in Puyallup for the State Fair is changing. Here’s the new rule for private lots
Those who operate temporary parking lots during the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, including homeowners who park cars on their lawns, must abide by a new rule city leaders approved March 26.
The Puyallup City Council voted 5-2 during the March 26 City Council meeting to require parking lot owners to give customers a piece of paper showing the lot’s address. The decision also waives the temporary fair parking license fee and modifies the deadline for temporary fair stands to apply for a permit. The deadline used to be the last day of business in August. Now it’s five business days before the fair starts.
Mayor Jim Kastama, Deputy Mayor Dennis King and council members Lauren Adler, Ned Witting and Renne Gilliam voted in favor of it. Council members Julie Door and Dean Johnson voted against it.
Parking lot owners who charge fairgoers a fee, regardless of lot size or capacity, are already required to have a temporary fair parking license as per the city code, though police haven’t generally enforced that for smaller lots. Before the City Council vote the fee was $37.50. Now it is free.
During the council meeting, Johnson asked his colleagues to vote against the changes, and to do a “good neighbor approach” instead. He suggested asking residents their thoughts on the changes.
“For me, it’s like a garage sale. It’s a lemonade stand. Why are we making it so official?” Johnson said.
Adler said during the council meeting she would have liked to see more communication done with residents regarding the changes, especially those who have been offering temporary fair parking for many years.
“Due diligence was not done ahead of time before proposing this,” Adler said. “I’m very frustrated by this, and I would have liked to see this play out differently.”
Adler said during the council meeting she was not against what was proposed, and that she just would have preferred to communicate with those affected by the changes beforehand.
Witting said during the council meeting he does not think it is burdensome for parking lot owners to distribute a piece of paper with the lot’s location on it. Doing so can save police officers’ time, he said.
The News Tribune reported last month that the changes were on the table due to parking complaints local police have received from fairgoers. Puyallup Police Chief Scott Engle said during the March 12 City Council meeting that fairgoers often forget where they park, which means his officers spend time helping visitors find their vehicles at the end of the night.
Engle also said during the March 12 council meeting that the city will notify residents about the changes through social media. Police will go door-to-door this month during the Spring Fair to inform those who live within a 7- to 8-mile radius of the fairgrounds.
City spokesperson Eric Johnson wrote in an email that the city wants to ensure that it informs as many households as possible that are within the vicinity of the fairgrounds.
Enforcement will begin during this year’s State Fair in the fall. The penalty for operating a temporary parking lot without a license is a class one civil infraction, Johnson said.
Johnson has not yet responded to The News Tribune’s question about what that fine will cost. The News Tribune also asked a Puyallup Police spokesperson, who directed a reporter back to Johnson.
