Starkville increasing ……

dog99walker

All-Conference
Jul 16, 2021
1,417
1,840
113
Well, to be honest, Lynn Spruill said that people park just anywhere in Starkville and walk away and stay all day. Might as well make money while you guys are doing it. I have on campus parking. I have been paying.
 

The Cooterpoot

Heisman
Sep 29, 2022
6,854
11,962
113
Most places have eliminated pay parking because it hurts more than it helps. Hattiesburg eliminated all of theirs. Starkville isn't some big city destination where it makes more sense, especially when there's a shortage of parking anyway. Build some damn parking! All these new districts and no damn parking!
 
  • Like
Reactions: OopsICroomedmypants

The Peeper

Heisman
Feb 26, 2008
15,432
10,580
113
Since the incorporation of areas around the East side of campus into Starkville, they have installed the same parking app up and down East Lee Blvd near Campus Book Mart, down by the Church of Christ, etc so now tenants in those apts can't park for free anymore AND if you are accustomed to parking along there on game day good luck because there's a 3 hour limit if I remember right. I've seen some "letters to the editor" in the Starkville Dispatch recently from 2 business owners complaining about it.
 
Last edited:

Xenomorph

All-American
Feb 15, 2007
15,346
9,046
113
So in this short thread I've already learned Starkville hasn't been charging for parking on Saturdays or after 8pm. And now evidently folks are going to biitch about that changing.

It's no wonder that until recently a trip to Starkville is like the flux capacitor hit 88 mph and you got transported back to 1955.
 
  • Like
Reactions: olblue

Xenomorph

All-American
Feb 15, 2007
15,346
9,046
113
Most places have eliminated pay parking because it hurts more than it helps. Hattiesburg eliminated all of theirs. Starkville isn't some big city destination where it makes more sense, especially when there's a shortage of parking anyway. Build some damn parking! All these new districts and no damn parking!
A 400 car parking garage will cost ~$12MM. How should Starkville pay for that?
 

atomic dawg

Junior
Apr 4, 2019
253
212
43
A 400 car parking garage will cost ~$12MM. How should Starkville pay for that?
Same way they want to pay for anything... raise the restaurant tax another percent and increase the millage on the residents, which they are trying to do right now anyway.

The truth is, they had to go to a pay parking model because they stacked so many new condos/apartments in an area with limited space but some how neglected to understand that people would need a place to park their vehicles. Because the parking was free you had a lot people (college students) parking on the street and just leaving it there for days or weeks and parking was impossible to find at times. Now its an issue and yes, people will b!tch about it because it wasnt a problem, until it was.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Darryl Steight

The Peeper

Heisman
Feb 26, 2008
15,432
10,580
113
So in this short thread I've already learned Starkville hasn't been charging for parking on Saturdays or after 8pm. And now evidently folks are going to biitch about that changing.

It's no wonder that until recently a trip to Starkville is like the flux capacitor hit 88 mph and you got transported back to 1955.
I don't have a side here but something needs to be done, yesterday. The complaints I'm hearing locally are that contrary to what her Highness Lynn Spruill said when it was implemented, the businesses didn't want it to begin with contrary to what she said. Robbie Coblenz (owner of Dolce and also L'uva Wine Room on University Dr and in the pay district) wrote a letter last week to the editor saying as much and was also quoted in an article in the paper yesterday opposing it. His point was why is it free 2 blocks from his business and all over downtown while his customers have to pay? Strangebrew had the same issue when they opened their University Dr location, which subsequently closed.

Most any town I've lived in during the last 40 years had guidelines requiring a certain number of parking place related to occupancy or square footage, or some other measurable matrix. That cost was covered when a business built and they had to figure it into their building costs and overhead. Starkville has nothing, even City Hall was built downtown with what, maybe 10 parking places below it and that's all? That's a zoning and ordinance issue that needs to be addressed asap. How can you expect to just build, build, build and not provide any parking? And, Cooterpoot said "build some parking" in his post, nothing about a parking garage. Speaking of which, that parking garage on the North side of campus is a 500 car lot and at the time it was opened (April 2022) was $14 million, that's $28,000 per parking place. It includes solar energy, a cistern to catch water for the surrounding landscape, lots of things not required but that's a ridiculous price. Face it, parking in town and on campus is 17'd up.......
 

johnson86-1

All-Conference
Aug 22, 2012
14,324
4,824
113
Most places have eliminated pay parking because it hurts more than it helps. Hattiesburg eliminated all of theirs. Starkville isn't some big city destination where it makes more sense, especially when there's a shortage of parking anyway. Build some damn parking! All these new districts and no damn parking!
Places usually eliminate pay parking because it's politically unpopular or there it's not economic to charge for it. Not because it does more harm than good. Parking spots cost money and take up space. It makes sense that it should cost money. And it's ironic to talk about building new parking but also thinking it's not valuable enough to charge for it. Pay parking helps create new parking by giving people an idea of what it's worth.
 

johnson86-1

All-Conference
Aug 22, 2012
14,324
4,824
113
Parking prices. Also gonna gouge on saturdays. Dicks
Semi-thread jack. What kind of 17ing moron is William Pochop. He says landlords should raise rents in response to higher taxes? What kind of 17ing idiot thinks that. It's certainly possible that there are places where the rental market is so soft that landlords would have to eat 100% of a new tax increase, but I can't imagine Starkville's rental market is anywhere near that soft.
 

atomic dawg

Junior
Apr 4, 2019
253
212
43
I don't have a side here but something needs to be done, yesterday. The complaints I'm hearing locally are that contrary to what her Highness Lynn Spruill said when it was implemented, the businesses didn't want it to begin with contrary to what she said. Robbie Coblenz (owner of Dolce and also L'uva Wine Room on University Dr and in the pay district) wrote a letter last week to the editor saying as much and was also quoted in an article in the paper yesterday opposing it. His point was why is it free 2 blocks from his business and all over downtown while his customers have to pay? Strangebrew had the same issue when they opened their University Dr location, which subsequently closed.

Most any town I've lived in during the last 40 years had guidelines requiring a certain number of parking place related to occupancy or square footage, or some other measurable matrix. That cost was covered when a business built and they had to figure it into their building costs and overhead. Starkville has nothing, even City Hall was built downtown with what, maybe 10 parking places below it and that's all? That's a zoning and ordinance issue that needs to be addressed asap. How can you expect to just build, build, build and not provide any parking? And, Cooterpoot said "build some parking" in his post, nothing about a parking garage. Speaking of which, that parking garage on the North side of campus is a 500 car lot and at the time it was opened (April 2022) was $14 million, that's $28,000 per parking place. It includes solar energy, a cistern to catch water for the surrounding landscape, lots of things not required but that's a ridiculous price. Face it, parking in town and on campus is 17'd up.......
Starkville had a chance to get this right and someone dropped the ball. The same city that makes new businesses invest a percentage of their building cost to landscaping and build sidewalks to nowhere, failed to account for parking when they were allowing new builds.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PhredPhantom

johnson86-1

All-Conference
Aug 22, 2012
14,324
4,824
113
Same way they want to pay for anything... raise the restaurant tax another percent and increase the millage on the residents, which they are trying to do right now anyway.

The truth is, they had to go to a pay parking model because they stacked so many new condos/apartments in an area with limited space but some how neglected to understand that people would need a place to park their vehicles. Because the parking was free you had a lot people (college students) parking on the street and just leaving it there for days or weeks and parking was impossible to find at times. Now its an issue and yes, people will b!tch about it because it wasnt a problem, until it was.
I doubt they neglected to understand that. People leasing apartments presumably think 10 minutes ahead and can know whether they need a parking spot and whether parking comes with their lease. There is no reason an apartment lease has to be bundled with the lease of one or more parking spaces. People are used to that in the south because we generally have poor to non-existent options for non-car living, but downtown in starkville is under 2 miles to anywhere on campus I think. Throw in that with grocery delivery, and I suspect you can live there without a car now. Might be expensive at times and sometimes pretty inconveninet, but probably not nearly as expensive as owning and maintaining a car.
 

johnson86-1

All-Conference
Aug 22, 2012
14,324
4,824
113
I don't have a side here but something needs to be done, yesterday. The complaints I'm hearing locally are that contrary to what her Highness Lynn Spruill said when it was implemented, the businesses didn't want it to begin with contrary to what she said. Robbie Coblenz (owner of Dolce and also L'uva Wine Room on University Dr and in the pay district) wrote a letter last week to the editor saying as much and was also quoted in an article in the paper yesterday opposing it. His point was why is it free 2 blocks from his business and all over downtown while his customers have to pay? Strangebrew had the same issue when they opened their University Dr location, which subsequently closed.

Most any town I've lived in during the last 40 years had guidelines requiring a certain number of parking place related to occupancy or square footage, or some other measurable matrix. That cost was covered when a business built and they had to figure it into their building costs and overhead. Starkville has nothing, even City Hall was built downtown with what, maybe 10 parking places below it and that's all? That's a zoning and ordinance issue that needs to be addressed asap. How can you expect to just build, build, build and not provide any parking? And, Cooterpoot said "build some parking" in his post, nothing about a parking garage. Speaking of which, that parking garage on the North side of campus is a 500 car lot and at the time it was opened (April 2022) was $14 million, that's $28,000 per parking place. It includes solar energy, a cistern to catch water for the surrounding landscape, lots of things not required but that's a ridiculous price. Face it, parking in town and on campus is 17'd up.......
Minimum parking requirements is how you ensure you never have a walkable community. Let people decide whether parking is important to them or not. If a business wants free parking in front of it, then it should build a parking lot. Having a small downtown where parking is free a block or two away is somewhat of a challenge for businesses on the main strip, but there is always going to be a line at which parking demand is not enough to justify charging for it.
 

atomic dawg

Junior
Apr 4, 2019
253
212
43
I doubt they neglected to understand that. People leasing apartments presumably think 10 minutes ahead and can know whether they need a parking spot and whether parking comes with their lease. There is no reason an apartment lease has to be bundled with the lease of one or more parking spaces. People are used to that in the south because we generally have poor to non-existent options for non-car living, but downtown in starkville is under 2 miles to anywhere on campus I think. Throw in that with grocery delivery, and I suspect you can live there without a car now. Might be expensive at times and sometimes pretty inconveninet, but probably not nearly as expensive as owning and maintaining a car.
People in the South dont think that way. This isnt New York or even Nashville. We've always had plenty of space or the time and space for the space that would be needed.

But Im not even talking about an apartment tied to a specific parking spot. If you are allowing a substantial amount of new apartments into a limited space, you have to account for a certain percentage of vehicles to be tied to the people living in that area, even if its on street parking. And you may have to limit new builds in that area to the space you have or have more parking tied to building permits. Whoever was concerned with where a sidewalk could potentially be needed in ten years and not where people can park today, is a d*mn idiot.
 

8dog

All-American
Feb 23, 2008
13,980
5,876
113
Parking is very easy at Wal Mart and Lakeside student living nearby. Super cool area
 

MStateDawg

All-Conference
Aug 3, 2021
782
1,199
93
that parking garage on the North side of campus is a 500 car lot and at the time it was opened (April 2022) was $14 million, that's $28,000 per parking place. It includes solar energy, a cistern to catch water for the surrounding landscape, lots of things not required but that's a ridiculous price. Face it, parking in town and on campus is 17'd up.......
You also have to consider that construction on that parking garage began in 2019 (pre-covid). Construction prices since COVID have substantially increased. Thus, even without the non-essential features, a 400 spot garage would cost an insane amount of money for a town like Starkville to fund.
 
Last edited:

johnson86-1

All-Conference
Aug 22, 2012
14,324
4,824
113
People in the South dont think that way. This isnt New York or even Nashville. We've always had plenty of space or the time and space for the space that would be needed.

But Im not even talking about an apartment tied to a specific parking spot. If you are allowing a substantial amount of new apartments into a limited space, you have to account for a certain percentage of vehicles to be tied to the people living in that area, even if its on street parking. And you may have to limit new builds in that area to the space you have or have more parking tied to building permits. Whoever was concerned with where a sidewalk could potentially be needed in ten years and not where people can park today, is a d*mn idiot.
Who is "you? It sounds like the city is doing it's small part by not letting people free ride off of city parking in prime real estate. I think if you have a car, you should generally pay for a place to keep it, whether that's lumped in with your apartment lease or a separate lease or purchase. If you live in an area of Starkville where there is sufficient free parking that you can free ride off of it, then that's a nice benefit to you. But it's not something the city owes you nor is the city responsible for mandating that people other than car owners provide parking spots.
 

onewoof

Heisman
Mar 4, 2008
14,910
13,014
113
Supply and demand. Demand will drop but supply is so low it does not matter.
 

Drebin

Heisman
Aug 22, 2012
21,495
25,046
113
Most places have eliminated pay parking because it hurts more than it helps. Hattiesburg eliminated all of theirs. Starkville isn't some big city destination where it makes more sense, especially when there's a shortage of parking anyway. Build some damn parking! All these new districts and no damn parking!
At least on football weekends, they're always going to gouge on parking. They only get 7 opportunities a year to do that.
 

Darryl Steight

All-American
Sep 30, 2022
3,784
6,354
113
Places usually eliminate pay parking because it's politically unpopular or there it's not economic to charge for it. Not because it does more harm than good. Parking spots cost money and take up space. It makes sense that it should cost money. And it's ironic to talk about building new parking but also thinking it's not valuable enough to charge for it. Pay parking helps create new parking by giving people an idea of what it's worth.
Correct, like it or not it's a necessary evil these days. If you don't like to pay, that's perfectly fine, just park over there --------------------> for free and hoof it.
 

DT4248

Senior
Apr 22, 2025
576
712
93
Old Fellows is the perfect spot for having a major parking garage in town that would make businesses boom wildly.

At some point - we gotta admit that burial ground spot is stupid.
 
Dec 9, 2018
746
640
93
I
Old Fellows is the perfect spot for having a major parking garage in town that would make businesses boom wildly.

At some point - we gotta admit that burial ground spot is stupid.
I think you are referring to Odd Fellows. What are you suggesting? Moving a cemetery that is on the National Register of Historic places? Good luck with that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dorndawg

The Peeper

Heisman
Feb 26, 2008
15,432
10,580
113
Old Fellows is the perfect spot for having a major parking garage in town that would make businesses boom wildly.

At some point - we gotta admit that burial ground spot is stupid.

We think a parking garage is expensive, try even getting permission from a family and a permit for exhuming one body let alone thousands of bodies, it takes a judge to sign off on it at a bare minimum. Then there's monuments and headstones, procuring more land, moving them somewhere. Yeah that will never happen. Next ridiculous idea......
 

The Peeper

Heisman
Feb 26, 2008
15,432
10,580
113
I think you are referring to Odd Fellows. What are you suggesting? Moving an African-American cemetery that is on the National Register of Historic places?
There are two Odd Fellows. The one across from Dooey and the one next to the elementary school on MLK Dr., both called Odd Fellows.
 
Dec 9, 2018
746
640
93
There are two Odd Fellows. The one across from Dooey and the one next to the elementary school on MLK Dr., both called Odd Fellows.
Thanks. I was only aware of the African American one until I did a quick search, hence my edit to the original post. I guess I never knew the name of the one at Little Dooeys. Trying to move a cemetery is an insane idea that no one will ever even attempt.
 

johnson86-1

All-Conference
Aug 22, 2012
14,324
4,824
113
Thanks. I was only aware of the African American one until I did a quick search, hence my edit to the original post. I guess I never knew the name of the one at Little Dooeys. Trying to move a cemetery is an insane idea that no one will ever even attempt.
No one will try it but damn that cemetery is a big impediment for Starkville. I don't know why we can't condemn the airspace above it and just enough ground dotted throughout it to provide space for pilings, and then build a parking deck that is essentially a second story parking deck. Or better yet, do parking and residential above it, with the ground level being cemetary, second floor parking, then a couple of levels of apartments. An elevated building over a graveyard certainly isn't ideal, but we haven't had any structural issues at Davis Wade, so seems like worse case scenario the residents just endure decades upon decades of misery with just enough hope sprinkled in that they don't take a leap off the top of the building.
 

DT4248

Senior
Apr 22, 2025
576
712
93
We think a parking garage is expensive, try even getting permission from a family and a permit for exhuming one body let alone thousands of bodies, it takes a judge to sign off on it at a bare minimum. Then there's monuments and headstones, procuring more land, moving them somewhere. Yeah that will never happen. Next ridiculous idea......


Who said anything about digging em up. Let the cemetery be the ground floor and just ramp into parking on floors 2 through 8.

Smoky this is capitalism and there's dollars to be made. Starkville and MSU having a continuous strip of activity from campus to city hall should have been the end goal of the town. But now we're stuck with that cemetery and a growing parking crunch.
 

The Peeper

Heisman
Feb 26, 2008
15,432
10,580
113
Who said anything about digging em up. Let the cemetery be the ground floor and just ramp into parking on floors 2 through 8.

Smoky this is capitalism and there's dollars to be made. Starkville and MSU having a continuous strip of activity from campus to city hall should have been the end goal of the town. But now we're stuck with that cemetery and a growing parking crunch.
Move on, troll. Nobody is that stupid