Walton Arts Center releases FAQs on parking proposal

Several questions have been raised about the new parking initiative announced last week by the City of Fayetteville and the Walton Arts Center that would allow the WAC to manage three public parking lots surrounding the arts center.

Click to enlarge

On Monday, the Walton Arts Center released an FAQ sheet on the proposed parking initiative to answer some of those questions.

The Walton Arts Center and the city are exploring converting the lots from free to paid during peak times and are primarily being fueled by what the Walton Arts Center sees as a growing parking problem around its facility during events. The concept on the table currently proposes that the Walton Arts Center will staff the lots surrounding the center to charge for parking.

According to the FAQ sheet, the parking ordinance required to relinquish control of the public lots on Dickson to the Walton Arts Center has not been drafted.

The concept currently proposed for discussion will include the following:

• WAC will lead the effort to develop a Dickson St. parking map and communication plan
• Public Parking lots will remain free during the weekday hours
• Competitive fees will be charged during peak parking times (evenings & weekends)
• Suggested fees will be $3 – $5
• WAC will staff the lots to provide premium customer service and help people find parking

Under the proposed plan, the WAC would use the money from the paid parking “to cover the costs of staffing and management,” and for “upkeep of the facility on Dickson St, and programming and promotion of the Entertainment District at large.”

The information released also addresses the question of how the parking issue will affects the WAC’s decision on future locations.

From the FAQ:

The Walton Arts Center is not moving—we have invested major resources in our Fayetteville buildings over the past year and plan to actively use them as our home for many years to come. As the region grows, the Walton Arts Center will consider expansion opportunities. But the parking initiative is about serving our patrons today so we can continue to draw visitors to the Entertainment District. By managing the lots and the traffic flow, we can make parking easier, which will provide a better overall experience.

The next steps of the proposal are for the Mayor to draft an ordinance to be heard by the Fayetteville City Council. The WAC will solicit feedback from patrons and the business community through public meetings, and through their website/social media.

The newly released FAQ sheet, along with a fact sheet, maps, and other relevant documents can be found at a newly created page on the WAC website.