Parking plan is step in right direction

Kudos to Mayor Ray Miller, the Idaho Transportation Department and Panhandle State Bank for cutting through a mountain of red tape that threatened to keep the Sandpoint Financial & Technical Center from opening on time.

Last week the city received an encroachment permit from the ITD to use state right of way as a free parking area, not only for the bank but for all residents.

The right of way is located west of Fifth Avenue, between Church and Cedar streets. The area, which will have about 100 spaces, is part of a right of way that will someday be part of the widening of Highway 2.

The bank is also currently preparing a parking lot where it had originally planned a multi-level parking garage.

This isn't a permanent solution, but it's a step in the right direction for the city and city council.

It's nice to see vacant downtown property being used to ease the parking problem.

For several hours a day the gridlock downtown is almost unbearable.

We are glad the mayor made this happen and we hope the rest of the City Council jumps on board with more of a "what can we do for you" attitude toward downtown businesses and parking issues.

The "here's what we are going to do to you" tone hasn't served anyone well.

David Keyes is publisher of the Daily Bee.