Bloomsburg Council Seeks Further Input on Parking Requirements

On Monday, Bloomsburg Town Council voted to send a proposed ordinance that would require off-street parking for downtown development back to committee for further review. The Chamber, Downtown Bloomsburg Inc., and others had expressed concerns about the potential impact of the proposed requirements on downtown development. The Town’s Community and Economic Development Committee is seeking further input in revising the proposed ordinance.

The proposed ordinance would require that any new development in the downtown commercial district provide off-street parking. This requirement could also apply to existing buildings with a change of use, such as if an office space became a retail store. The intent is to ease the demand on public parking. The boards of the Chamber and Downtown Bloomsburg Inc. expressed concerns about the impact of this proposed requirement in a joint statement.   A special hearing was held Monday on the proposed ordinance.

Prior to hearing comments from the public, Mayor Sandy Davis stated that Council recognized a number of issues with the draft and suggested further review by committee. Council voted unanimously to send the draft back to CommD. The Chamber and others applauded Council for allowing more time to discuss the concerns and work toward a solution that promotes growth of the central business district.