Poulsbo's City Council voted Wednesday to temporarily suspend paid parking at the downtown waterfront lot, effective immediately through May 31, 2027, ending a pilot that had run for about two months and 20 days and had drawn steady complaints from merchants and residents. Three-hour timed parking will return to the Anderson Parkway lot during the suspension, while time-limit enforcement continues there and throughout the downtown core.
Backlash Builds Against August Pilot
The paid parking program began Aug. 15 and applied only to the Anderson Parkway waterfront lot, which accounted for 36.5% of the city-owned spaces downtown, according to Kitsap Daily News. Rates ran $3 per hour during peak season, from April 15 to Oct. 15, and $1 per hour the rest of the year, charged from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. six days a week, excluding major holidays. ParkMobile supplied the platform and payment processing while the program was active, but the outlet reports some community members found the app difficult to use.
Complaints piled up almost as soon as the meters started running. At a Sept. 2 council meeting, residents and councilmembers raised practical and equity concerns about the rollout and its $60 citation, according to Citizen Portal. Public commenters and business liaisons described trouble scanning small, high-placed QR codes in rainy or low-light conditions and pushed for alternatives like card kiosks and bigger signage.
Merchants Report Steep Revenue Drop
The financial complaints escalated by fall. Several merchants told the council on Oct. 21 that their revenue had dropped about 30% since the program began roughly two months earlier, per West Sound News. Business owners said at recent council meetings that paid parking had negative effects on their operations, and local business owners and community members more broadly raised concerns and challenges about the program, the Kitsap Daily News report notes.
Mayor Ed Stern said the council responded to those concerns directly. “The council felt it was important to respond to the concerns raised and take a step back to evaluate the program,” Stern said, according to the same outlet. He added that the historic downtown Poulsbo waterfront district is open for business with no payment requirement during the suspension.
What Happens Next for Downtown Parking
During the pause, Poulsbo says it will work with local stakeholders to refine the downtown parking program and will evaluate parking needs and community feedback to determine next steps, per the report. The city had intended paid-parking revenue to fund enforcement, maintenance of existing parking infrastructure, signage, employee parking, public safety, and the design and construction of parking solutions such as a garage, shuttle, or other transportation and nonmotorized alternatives.
Downtown Poulsbo has 1,289 parking spaces in total, with 676 privately owned and 611 city-owned, though those two ownership figures add up to 1,287, a discrepancy the article does not explain. A 2023 city parking study found that downtown public parking supply consistently reaches, and in many areas exceeds, 85% occupancy during much of a typical day, both on weekdays and weekends, according to a planning document from the City of Poulsbo.
The paid parking program traces back to Resolution 2026-05, which the council adopted on April 15, authorizing a downtown paid-parking pilot restricted to the Anderson Parkway waterfront lot. That original plan included seasonal rates, one free day each week, and a $10 monthly employer fee for employee parking, according to Citizen Portal's earlier coverage of the council's approval. With the suspension now in place through spring 2027, city leaders say the next phase will hinge on further input from the merchants and residents who pushed back against the pilot in the first place.
