New parking policy in place for Pearland town center shoppers
PEARLAND, Texas (KTRK) -- There's a new parking policy in place at Pearland Town Center. The first hour is free. After that, it's $1 and can go all the way up to $10 after the sixth hour.
Devon Shows, who owns Bricks and Minifigs Pearland, supports it.
"It's a great thing for the businesses in the town center and the reason is it's a great for the customers that shop at the town center," Shows said.
He says when it gets busy, finding a place to park would get tricky at times.
"The problem for customers is the lack of convenient parking to get to the stores on the streets. This policy turns that around and makes it much more convenient to be able to park because spaces turn over quicker," Shows said.
ABC13 reached out to the shopping center management and in a statement was sent to us.
"The program is an added convenience for shoppers who are in a hurry, giving them quick access to their favorite brands. Since the program just launched, we don't expect to make any changes to the rates and the first hour remains free. Tenants were notified of the program prior to its launch," Stacey Keating, who is the vice president of corporate corporations, said.
And it's not just about shoppers. Shows says sometimes people who work at other business use the parking spots and their cars stay there all day.
ABC13 spoke with some employees who say they prefer to park at the store fronts so they can keep an eye on their vehicle. They also say the free lots are farther way and they don't feel comfortable walking alone at night.
Chris Gamble is a barber at Shaving Grace Barbershop and understands those concerns. "You could potentially be walking from far. You may not be able to see your car, watch your car, like you may want to," Gamble said.
While he doesn't mind the walk, he worries about his customers dealing with long wait times for haircuts.
"It could be a time where a client may come in. They may pay for an hour, but their wait might be two hours. On a busy day, it kind of starts confusion," he said.
