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Dana Martin, manager of Sutherland Drug Store thinks "a little common sense" is required to solve the downtown parking issue. - Sara Wilson NNSl photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Bring up the amount of available parking spots in the downtown core and expect to get strong, colourful language from downtown business owners.

Businesses scattered throughout the downtown core are fed up and are expressing their frustrations with the City of Yellowknife's Smart Growth Development Plan.

On page 32 of the report ­ available on the city's website ­ under the downtown revitalization section (4.9) is the sentence that sparked the outcry.

"The transportation component of the plan indicates there is a surplus of parking spaces within the downtown."

Members of business community say their collective answer is "show me where the available parking is."

The controversial issue is at the forefront at the moment as the city, in conjunction with the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, conducts a downtown businesses parking survey in which businesses are encourage to provide their feedback through a series of questions.

"The challenge is, how to do you translate a surplus from off-street parking against the deficit of on-street parking," Mayor Gord Van Tighem said."If you ask the people that have a surplus of off-street parking if they would like to have less, they say, 'Oh no, we charge rent for the other ones.'"

Arguably the worst section for parking in the downtown core is outside the Book Cellar at 4923 49 St.

"I'd like them to show me a map of the available parking in the downtown so I can redirect people who use our parking spots," said Judith Drinnan, owner of the Book Cellar.

The local bookstore continually battles for its marked parking spots between the patrons of the TD Bank and the Elks Club, Drinnan said.

"It totally affects our business," she said. "I've given up. I no longer want to approach the subject because it's tied to so many other issues."

Her sentiment is echoed by Bill Stirling, owner of Overlander Sports.

The outdoor sporting goods store at 4909 50 St. battles for its 18 parking spots ­ which Stirling owns ­ with restaurants up the street.

The parking lot outside the store is monitored and vehicles that are parked illegally are reported by Stirling, but he admits that the city is "unresponsive" to help with their requests to remove vehicles.

"It's definitely a frustrating situation," he said.

"I don't know what the solution is. Downtown lots are prime real estate so isn't really viable to make them all parking lots, and the public transportation system doesn't seem to work."

Dana Martin, manager of Sutherland Drugs at 4910 Franklin Ave., has completed the survey and felt it was important to have her concerns heard.

"It's like I put in the survey, it takes a little bit of common sense," Martin said.

"When they built the new government building (Greenstone building) did they not plan for all the employees that would need parking spots?"

Martin and owner Stephen Gwilliam say patrons compete for their parking stalls with users of Surly Bob's Pub downstairs and Sushi North upstairs and insist that there should be user-pay parking lots available in the downtown core.

On the other side of the downtown core, Northern Images at 4801 Franklin Ave. is also feeling the pinch because the popular co-op has only two metered parking lots available to its customers.

"We have issues with parking and the lack of loading zones," said Sally Joyce, manager of Northern Images. "Our local drivers get ticketed a lot."

Joyce suggested a car-sharing program for Yellowknife residents as a possible solution to the alleviate the pressure on downtown parking.

"I walk and bike, I think there's still a lot more room for that from local people, tourists don't mind walking," she said.

The survey can be found on the city's website and comments are being taken until the end of the month.

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