By Liz Moomey
liz.moomey@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — The Salisbury City Council will receive a presentation VHB Engineering regarding their downtown parking study at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The meeting is at City Council Chambers at 217 S. Main St.

VHB Engineering found that the city does not have a parking supply shortage after finding that during peak times — 9-11 a.m. —more than 1,900 spaces were empty. Their study states “During the peak morning period, only a 52% utilization rate of municipal parking was observed.”

The study states that around the Rowan County Courthouse the parking is at high demand and may cause the perception of a parking shortage.

The study lists some short-term solutions, such as strengthening parking enforcement, adding bicycle parking throughout the city, deterring street parking by downtown employees, improving pedestrian safety, adding a paved parking lot with 60-75 spaces and address concerns for public service lots. Some long-term solutions are pursuing public-private development opportunities to add public parking, including a parking garage and evaluating potentially adding paid metered parking in heavily used spaces.

Mayor Al Heggins will recap the White House official visit to Salisbury and will discuss the possibility of establishing a Qualified Opportunity Zone fund. Scott Turner, executive director for the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, toured Salisbury’s opportunity zones on Tuesday and held a discussion with community stakeholders. Salisbury has four opportunity zones, one encompasses the Empire Hotel.

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board voted to approved the renaming of the dog park to Pitner Dog Park after Teresa Pitner, who is the owner of Dog PAWS and main fundraiser of the dog park. If the council agrees to the renaming, a renaming ceremony will be held.

The council will consider a resolution request by City Manager Lane Bailey to agree to the Fibrant installment financing contract with First Bank to provide interest expense savings.