ALAMOSA — Parking permits will soon be required from the City of Alamosa on portions of Monterey and El Sol Avenues near Adams State.

The Alamosa city council on Wednesday night unanimously authorized the creation of a parking permit system on portions of El Sol and Monterey Avenues. (See hatched area on map.)

Residents in the designated areas requested the city to implement a parking permit system that would accommodate residents and guests but prevent others (primarily Adams State students and staff) from monopolizing the parking spaces in those neighborhoods.

Alamosa City Manager Heather Brooks said the university has built new parking lots, and the staff and students have access to those but sometimes just find it easier to park on the street than in the designated Adams State lots.

She said the city held community meetings in the area and collected comments through a survey process as well. The predominant desire was for parking permits in the area of Monterey and El Sol. On other blocks where residents did not want parking permits, the city would not pursue it at this time, Brooks said.

“It’s not something the city is forcing on neighborhoods,” Brooks said. “If a neighborhood wants it, staff would be willing to recommend it to city council.”

On one side of Monterey by the university there is already no parking and loading zones, so the city will not change anything on that side. On the other side the city will post signs letting motorists know that it is a permit parking only area. The city will also paint the curb, probably green.

Brooks said city staff does not want parents visiting the campus to have a negative experience, so they want the area marked as clearly as possible. She added the city wants to be good neighbors with Adams State and would partner with the university in getting information out about parking-permit only areas. She said the permit process would begin as soon as the signs were installed, curbs painted and permits distributed.

The way the process will work in this permit-parking area will be:

• Each property owner will receive five parking permits that they can use on their own vehicles or for temporary visitors such as guests, relatives or businesses that might be coming to perform work at their residence.

• Residents hosting an event expecting more than five vehicles may request temporary placards, which would be returned to the city afterwards.

• The resident or guest will hang the permit on their rearview mirror so police can easily view it.

• Alamosa police will enforce the permit area.

• Signs will be posted, and the curb will be painted.

• There will be no cost for property owners to obtain their five parking permits.

• Parking permits will not be for specific spaces, such as the ones in front of someone’s house, but will be usable in the entire designated permit area.

Brooks said the city could expand the permit parking areas in the future if more residents request it. It would be designated block by block, she explained.

The city council was not required to hold a public hearing on the permit issue, but it did. Two residents spoke.

Shiela Markus, who lives on Monterey, said every morning when she backs out of her driveway to go to work, her husband has to guide her out because she cannot see in either direction. She said many times people who are parking on their side of the street have parking permits for Adams State lots but are not using them.

She said sometimes their driveway has been blocked and she and her husband cannot even get out.

“We are highly in favor of having the permit system,” Markus said. “I think that would be a great help in that area.”

Carol Redding, who lives on Sierra Avenue, spoke on behalf of Cynthia Tanaka who was unable to attend Wednesday’s public hearing. Tanaka lives in the area to be designated and is in favor of it. Tanaka has had numerous problems with parking, Redding said.

Redding said she also voted in favor of parking permits on her block, but some of her neighbors did not. One of those who was not in favor of it has since moved. Redding said she hoped at some point there would be enough neighbors on her block in favor of it for it to be implemented there.

She added that if parking permits are instituted on Monterey, people will probably move over to her street to park.

Redding added that people who want to sell their homes in that area have trouble finding interested buyers because of the parking problems.

Councilman Jan Vigil thanked Brooks and staff for working on this issue. He said Tanaka approached him about it early this year, and he passed it on to Brooks who pursued the matter through neighborhood meetings and surveys. “There was a lot of homework on this,” he said.

“I think it’s time we help these folks out,” he added.

He commended Adams State for improving and expanding the university’s parking areas.

He said there is a possibility that creating this parking permit area will push problems onto other streets like Sierra and El Rio.

Mayor Ty Coleman said he had heard concerns about that as well, that the problem would just move to other streets. He said he was glad the city would not be forcing this on people who did not want it. He said the support is there for this specific designation, however, and he appreciated staff’s efforts in getting feedback from residents. He added that he was glad the process was open to future designations where/when people wanted it.

“We want it to be driven by the neighborhood,” Brooks said.

Councilor Kristina Daniel said at first she was not in favor of this, but she now supports the specific areas on Monterey and El Sol to be designated. She said she appreciated the data that was collected on this.