Downtown districts north of Atlanta compete for visitors looking for a place to dine, shop or spend an evening out, a longtime restaurant owner said, adding that paid parking could put his city at a disadvantage.

In Roswell, some business owners worry paid parking will discourage visitors who might instead choose nearby districts such as Alpharetta or Woodstock, where parking is free.

During a regular meeting on March 9, Roswell City Council approved, in a split vote, a pilot program for paid parking at a new deck, as well as on-street parking. The plan is to implement paid parking through December and then review data to determine how to move forward.

Ryan Pernice owns two restaurants on Roswell’s downtown Canton Street — Osteria Mattone and Table and Main — with parking lots for patrons. He has been a leading voice in opposition to paid parking in the district. Paid parking is an “undue burden to business owners in our downtown,” he said.

“No one likes us to think that we are in competition with Alpharetta… Sandy Springs… Woodstock … (and) Norcross but we are,” Pernice said during public comment. “We’re in competition with them for visitors to our downtown, for businesses to open in our community, and for the quality of life that a center such as Canton Street provides.”

Jeffrey Leatherman, deputy city administrator of Community Services, said officials have come to understand that all of Roswell’s downtown parking, from lots to surface street parking, has “to work together as a system.” Parking at Hillrose, the planned mixed-use development across from City Hall, will also become part of that system in about a year and a half, he said.

The Green Street parking deck was funded through a $20 million bond referendum that was approved by voters in 2022. Last year, the city assured residents that the new deck, which is set to open in the spring, would be free.

Today, occasional visitors to Roswell’s downtown Canton Street will find parking is limited and costs can vary from free to a few dollars to as much as $10.

“… Parking is air to businesses, to restaurants, to retail, ”Jenna Aronowitz, owner of 1920 Tavern, told council.

“… The only thing worse than no (parking) deck, is an empty deck,” she added.

Aronowitz said that established restaurant patrons who return to 1920 Tavern after a long period of time have told her that parking concerns kept them away.

The city is also considering paid parking at Roswell Cultural Arts Center and City Hall where plans are to redevelop the lot.

Frustrated residents told Mayor Mary Robichaux and council members that requiring Roswell residents to pay to park at the Green Street deck or City Hall is essentially double-dipping from taxpayers.

Some said they would be open to a compromise in which the first two hours of parking would be free.

Resident Denise Woodall said it is the officials’ job to figure out a solution. She said she moved to Roswell for a sense of community and visits the downtown area daily, adding that she needs more than two hours of free parking.

“I don’t want to pay by the hour. I can’t pay by the hour. I literally cannot afford the bill,” Woodall said. “The money you are going to make with this parking you are going to lose in sales.”

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