The Parking Garage Fiasco

The City leadership is once again suffering from a self inflicted wound. Many Georgetown residents are upset with the process and lack of transparency used in selecting a site for a new 4 story parking garage near the historic downtown square.

There have been editorials and letters to the Wilco Sun over the last several weeks showing the unhappiness citizens are experiencing with the secrecy surrounding the entire garage project.

At the January 14, Council meeting over 25 people signed up to speak about the garage. Here is a link to the video of the council meeting. The parking garage issue is Item V. The entire video is 1.5 hours long.

One citizen captured many of the issues in the following 6 minute video.

The general lack of transparency is identified as well as the immaturity of the budget estimates which have doubled in just a couple of months.

The average cost of parking structures is $21,500 per parking space according to the engineering design firm under contract to the city. Yet, the cost for this proposed garage, so far, is $74,100 per space.

Does everyone see the problem here? Expect more controversy in the future if there are no changes to include citizens in the process of site selection and building cost, size and look.