Visiting or working in Woodstock? You’ll soon have to pay to park downtown

But there are mixed reactions about what this new, and once free, parking reality means for those in Woodstock, a city of 39,000 located 30 minutes north of Atlanta.

Ashley Salinas, a manager at the city’s downtown J. Christopher’s restaurant, said she supports the initiative.

“It’ll be beneficial for us,” she said. “It’ll open up spaces in front and behind the restaurant, and there’s still free parking up the road. I think the employees around here are going to be a little upset about it, but they’ll get over it.”

Sitting at a nearby brewery, Susan Moore shared similar sentiments.

“People come and they park and then businesses don’t get repeat customers,” said Moore, who’s lived in Woodstock for 32 years. “If you only have two hours, you have to move your car and allow other people to come in and shop.”

Others residents saw the plans as a way to stay competitive with neighboring cities like Marietta and Roswell, which have implemented paid parking.

But for Lori Miller, the new program reflects a broader failure to maintain Woodstock’s small-town charm.

“At one point, this would’ve been considered a quaint Georgia suburb town,” she said. “Of course, there’s been progress. But there’s progress, and then there’s overgrowth.”

According to the latest U.S. Census data, Woodstock has seen its population rise 12% since 2020. Home prices have increased 60% compared to five years ago. And millions have been poured into the downtown’s revitalization.

Miller referenced the newly constructed $19 million City Center East Parking Deck, which remains a free alternative to paid parking, according to city officials.

Credit: Gray Mollenkamp

Credit: Gray Mollenkamp

“If I come down here, and I need to pay for parking, I will,” she said. “But that parking garage, it’s just an eyesore. So I guess paid parking goes along with ruining the charm of a downtown.”

Staci Wright and Peyton Martin, who work nearby to what is a designated paid-parking zone, were worried about what the new program means for employees themselves.

“From a business perspective, I understand the need for paid parking and rotating spaces,” said Wright, who works as a manager at Reel Seafood. “But as a resident and employee, I now have to pay to come into work. That doesn’t make any sense.”

Credit: Gray Mollenkamp

Credit: Gray Mollenkamp

Martin works at a beer market across the street. She said she was concerned about having to rely on the parking deck because of a perceived lack of safety.

“As a single employee and as a woman, I don’t love walking at night to a parking garage,” she said. “It’s not closely monitored.”

Even visitors for the holiday weekend took notice of how local businesses may be affected.

“If I want to park here in front of J. Christopher’s, and I’m going to get charged four bucks, maybe I’ll just go someplace else,” said Douglas Walker, who was visiting his brother from Florida.

City officials did not immediately return requests for comment, but said in a statement that revenue gained from the program would go toward “ongoing maintenance and operations of the downtown parking system.”