There has been such an uproar over the announcement of paid parking coming to the relaxed “park free” zone of Town Center’s 7,000 spaces, we felt obliged to measure the temperature of the response from our own survey of merchants.
What we found is that the overwhelming objections heard at the March 31 Boston Properties’ meeting at the Hyatt Regency are not so freely-shared when these words of protest are going permanently into print with an attribution.
Many Reston Town Center stores are owned by large holding companies and it is impossible for store managers to speak freely.
Understanding this “embargo” of free speech, we didn’t bother trying to reach managers of stores like Talbots, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Apple, Williams-Sonoma, Chico’s and Victoria’s Secret. Instead, we tried reaching out to managers of smaller, local stores like Appalachian Spring, Midtown Jewelers, Art Insights, The Eyewear Gallery, Davelle Clothiers, Origins, L’Occitane, The Bike Lane and Red Velvet, among others. Even then, owners and managers alike would speak freely only on the promise of anonymity.
Here, then is the “temperature” of many voices of merchandisers willing to speak to us…
“It is going to hurt our drop-by, foot traffic…”
* * *
I have worked here for 12 years and already pay $70.00/month on the Toll Road to come to work here. This works for me until I have to pay an additional $50.00/month for parking…”
* * *
“Our employees are going to have to pay to come to work…”
* * *
““Folks from all over the region flock to Town Center because of its dynamic streetscape and upscale shopping. This main attraction and convenience will be killed by
paid parking….”* * *
“Town Center will lose business to surrounding centers like Tysons, Dulles, Mosaic, Fair Oaks and Leesburg who figured this out and don’t charge their customers
for parking…”* * *
“The large merchandisers here will be able to pay the parking fees for their employees. We are too small to afford that and will most likely go out of business as a result…”
* * *
“This has nothing to do with the metro. If I pay rent here I shouldn’t have to pay for parking…”
* * *
“Why should I have to pay $50.00/month and then have to park my car in the Yellow parking garage which is a long walk to work? I should be able to park my
car anywhere…”* * *
“I will no longer be able to afford to work here…”
* * *
“Paid parking is bad publicity, will cut into the bottom line, and will ruin everything…”
* * *
“It’s going to kill us…”
* * *
“Our temps get paid $10.00/hour which will now be reduced to $8.00/hour to cover parking, which means there won’t be any money left for them to spend here in Town Center…”
* * *
“I guess we will have to validate parking for our paying customers, but this fee will really dip into the small profit I am making now…”
* * *
“Reston Town Center’s decision to implement paid parking during the work week will put an unexpected, costly burden on our organization. We do not think it is fair to place this cost upon our staff, given that there are other ways for the Town Center to address commuter parking concerns. So we must absorb this unbudgeted cost, in place of other initiatives that we had hoped to implement to further our not-for-profit mission.”
