TRAVERSE CITY -- An Old Town public parking deck is a step closer to becoming reality after a majority of city commissioners supported the project.
Commissioners approved four separate issues Monday, among them an agreement with all participants and another with the Grand Traverse County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.
The latter will authorize up to $1 million in county funds for construction. The city also intends to issue up to $8.3 million in bonds to fund the project.
Each vote split 5-2, with Commissioners Jim Carruthers and Deni Scrudato dissenting.
The proposed three-story structure, to have 410 parking spots, would be situated between Lake Avenue and Union, Cass and Eighth streets.
Hagerty Insurance Agency, located in the nearby River's Edge development, will need to add at least 100 jobs and stay in town until 2016 as part of the agreement.
Company officials have said they expect to create 226 new jobs, in addition to keeping 360.
Because the city wants to issue bonds, residents will have 45 days beginning Sunday to collect signatures to place the bond issue in a citywide election in 2009.
"The city has made a commitment to public parking," Commissioner Jody Bergman said. "It's an infrastructure. It's the same as sewer or water."
But some residents are wary of more publicly funded decks, similar to the downtown Hardy structure, Scrudato said.
She added that it also gives Hagerty employees, who will use a large share of the spaces, an advantage.
"How many decks do we need in this little city?" she asked. "A deck at that location really will not serve downtown."
About 30 people addressed the commission before the vote, the majority in support of an Old Town deck.
Todd McCall, an Old Town restaurant employee, said a lack of spaces in the neighborhood has caused some employees to park farther away so customers can have the convenient spots.
"Parking is very important to me," he said. "I look forward to the day when I don't have to shovel snow from my car because I parked in the parking deck."
But at least one worried it was too risky a venture at a time of financial instability.
"It concerns me that the people in the city are paying the brunt of what goes on," said Ann Rogers, a former city commissioner. "I don't want any more debt."
