Business owners have mixed reviews about potential parking meters

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a topic that’s stirred up conversation in Starkville, implementing parking meters in the Cotton District.

It’s something Starkville city leaders have considered.

Currently, parking in the Cotton District is free.

However, Mayor Lynn Spruill said there’s a recurring problem, people are keeping their cars parked all day taking up spaces for potential customers.

Business owners have mixed reviews about bringing in the parking meters.

“I love it, I absolutely love it,” said Dan Camp, owner of Cotton District Renal Properties. “What it will do is, hopefully, it will free up spaces is for people who want to come over here to eat, and limit other people’s time that is used. We see people parking over here, then going up here and catching the buses to the university. It would make those spaces available or they would pay for the time that they’re there.”

“Just taking into consideration that if we were just enforcing the laws as they are, then we would have a lot more revenue from that instead of having to have meters put in,” said Lara Hammond, owner of Sage Coffee & Books. “I think it will slow down traffic. If people have a choice between coming to the Cotton District to eat or, to come get a book, or something, or they can go somewhere else where they don’t have to pay, they will go somewhere else.”

City leaders have heard from three companies about bringing in the meters.

Mayor Spruill said they will hear from one more company before making a vote on the matter.