County OKs parking garage rates, management contract

Published 9:00 pm Monday, December 22, 2003

Drivers will lose 30 minutes of free parking, but fees at Snohomish County’s new underground garage will remain largely the same under a fee schedule adopted by the County Council.

Construction of the $29 million garage began in October 2002, and the facility is expected to open in February.

Last week, the Snohomish County Council approved parking rates and named the company that will oversee operations of the 1,200-stall facility. Republic Parking Northwest Inc. will manage the garage, as well as the county’s 100-stall parking lot at Wall Street and Oakes Avenue.

Republic Parking Northwest manages roughly 100 parking facilities in the Seattle and Tacoma area, said Laura Larson, the company’s director of operations. Those include the Bell Street Pier garage for Pier 66, and Terminal 30, the new cruise ship terminal in Seattle that opened earlier this year.

Republic will earn a maximum of $261,593 for managing the county’s parking in 2004, the first year of its five-year contract. The county also will reimburse the company for its sales and business and occupation taxes.

Under the contract, Republic will collect parking fees, handle complaints, keep the facility clean and dispatch county motor pool vehicles. The company also will help manage parking for jury members at the garage.

Public parking rates will stay largely the same. Free parking will be reduced from one hour to 30 minutes. It will still cost $2 for two hours and $5 for up to four hours, $8 for up to six hours, and $10 for up to 10 hours, according to the preliminary rate schedule.

Proposed public parking rates for events at Everett’s new arena will range from $3 to $15, depending on demand. Parking rates for hot ticket events will be at the higher end of the scale.