After hearing the results of a parking survey and differing concerns from downtown Sterling business owners, employees and customers, the message was clear - more free downtown parking is needed.

“Forty percent of the public response, that was a leader, is not enough spaces,” Sterling City Manager Scott Shumard recently told the Sterling City Council.

At the May 18 meeting, the council heard and discussed the results of a parking survey that received 17 responses from downtown businesses and employees and 277 responses from downtown customers.

A parking committee, made up of some downtown business owners, representatives from city government, business groups and the Sterling Police Department, has been meeting for several months to discuss downtown parking issues and find solutions.

One major issue for businesses, employees, and customers is the lack of extended-time parking downtown.

“I haven’t had to worry about salon business for quite some time. But women have to worry about three-hour-plus parking, depending on what kinds of things they are doing,” he said.

One of the biggest areas of need for extended-time parking is on and near Light Street, which has a variety of businesses, including a salon, a formal dress shop and a tattoo shop as well as Dunk’s Bar and Grill.

Based on the survey responses, the committee made its recommendations to turn Lot 11, behind Grummert’s Hardware, into all-day parking. That lot adds free customer parking for customers at businesses on Light Street and First Avenue and opens up overflow parking for the YWCA.

Shumard said the committee also discussed the needs of the YWCA and Sterling Federal Bank.

“The YWCA was another totally separate issue. They have a whole mix of parking needs, from employee to short-term visitor to long-term visitor and, in some cases, overnight,” Shumard said.

The recommendation to solve the YWCA issue is to sell Lot 7, the north half of the lot south of the YWCA, to the YWCA and return the south half of the lot to Sterling Federal Bank. Shumard said representatives from Sterling Federal and the YWCA already have met to discuss the arrangement and future use of the parking lots.

The majority of the parking committee recommended converting the south half of Lot 8, east of Dale Park and Brink’s, from permit parking to free all-day parking.

By doing that, all-day parking spots will be available for anyone using the courthouse or attending all-day events at Champ’s Banquet Center and Dale Park.

The committee recommended keeping three-hour parking at the north end of Lot 8 to ensure that spaces are available for shorter-term customer use at stores and restaurants.

Shumard said the city would begin the process to implement the recommendations.