The Brief
- The owner of Seattle’s Mike’s Chili Parlor says new paid parking spaces outside his Ballard restaurant could drive away customers.
- SDOT says the meters are intended to increase short-term parking availability, with rates ranging from $1 to $2.50 per hour.
- The longtime business owner is urging the city to work more closely with local merchants and worries the impact on sales will be difficult to measure.
SEATTLE – A long-standing Ballard small business owner is warning that a new city parking plan could negatively impact his sales and threaten his family’s legacy.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) recently implemented new paid parking spaces near the Ballard Blocks development, directly affecting spots outside the front door of Mike’s Chili Parlor. The area along Northwest Ballard Way and 15th Avenue Northwest previously utilized one- and two-hour time limits for decades.
Mike Semandiris, the fourth-generation owner of Mike’s Chili Parlor, said the new paid parking introduces another barrier for small businesses. His great-grandfather founded the establishment in 1922.
Owner Calls for More City Cooperation
Semandiris said the implementation of the paid spaces felt forced upon local businesses and customers.…