Todd’s Take – The Lights Parking Ramp News

The topic of unfair parking has been on the news and in the media lately……………

Unfair, no solutions, etc.  I agree with EagleRidge on some of it and some I don’t!

It is unfair, for sure. EagleRidge pays $25,000 a year to the City of West Fargo and gets 104 of the 370 spots reserved 24 hours a day, seven days a week. EPIC Companies pays $150,000 a year and gets no parking spaces reserved. It is unfair! 

EagleRidge got a $6 million TIF from the City of West Fargo and used $3 million of it for The Lights Plaza, the other $3 million was supposed to go towards public parking. It never happened and it is represented in the EagleRidge’s propaganda as being EQUITY in the Northern Lights project. Again, I agree. Unfair. 

Here is where I disagree with EagleRidge and there is a solution. Their parking spaces could be protected from 6pm to 7am so that there was overnight parking for their apartments. This would allow those spots to be used for daily business activity for customers coming and going at the Northern Lights and The Lights, this would make it a true community partnership. 

Lots of dynamics, especially when projects are successful, but we always need to keep community in mind. I think sometimes folks fall short of that and forget it CAN BE worked out!

Enjoy the last days of summer and back to school!

Thanks, Tb