A potential paid-parking program for the area around Third and Fourth avenues drew some skepticism and many questions Thursday evening at the Carnegie building in downtown Durango.

About 75 people gathered to hear the details about a program proposed by the Boulevard Neighborhood Association Inc. to help ease daily parking congestion.

The program would require all residents to purchase two 24/7 parking passes, and visitors would be required to purchase a monthly day pass, said Amber Blake, the director of Transportation and Sustainability.

The permit area likely would be from 15th Street to 2nd Street and from the alley between Second and Third avenues to the alley between Fourth and Fifth avenues.

Right now, the program would not allow anyone to purchase a specific space.

Some residents spoke to the need of the program, others presented alternatives, and a small group contended it isn’t necessary.

For those with small children and health problems, a permit program likely would allow them to park much closer to their homes, said advocate Mike Todt.

“This is not for convenience sake; this is about people who need to be able to park on their block,” he said.

In order for the the city to start the program, parking passes and tickets would have to pay for enforcement, signage and all other costs. As a result, no resident would be able to opt out, Blake said.

But the city also would make sure the neighborhood spaces would not be oversold. There are about 900 parking spaces across the proposed area, and more than 500 would be reserved for residents, she said.

For those who own rentals, property owners would be responsible for paying for parking passes for their tenants and building the price into leases, Blake said.

Some residents suggested allowing for flexibility in mandatory participation. Some with off-street parking asked if they could give their passes up to be sold to visitors. Others asked if they only have one car, could the second residential pass be used as a guest pass?

The proposal currently does not address these questions.

Naysayers opposed the program for a variety of reasons: Some pointed out it might just move the parking program to another area; others questioned the image it could give the neighborhood.

Former Durango City Councilor Doug Lyon opposed the proposal because it could push the parking problem further east and would require heavy enforcement.

“Think of the police state you would have to have,” said.

Barb Bell, a woman from outside the neighborhood, urged the group to think about those who can’t walk out their front door to go downtown.

“You are being more and more privileged,” she said.

John Shaw urged his fellow residents to see the parking problem in light of the benefits of living near downtown.

“The bars, the train, the Smiley ... that’s why I gave up my parking spots to live downtown,” said Shaw, who moved downtown from the county.

Maureen May, who lives in the neighborhood, suggested a parking garage free for everyone would be a better and more permanent solution to the problem.

But Blake said the city didn’t have the funds to build a garage, and it would not be eligible for the recently reapproved half-cent sales-tax funds.

mshinn@durangoherald.com