Roswell Approves Paid Parking Pilot for New Downtown Deck

The city had planned for the deck to be free for residents, but determining eligibility proved too complicated.

Mar. 10, 2026 at 9:59pm

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The Roswell City Council has voted 4-2 to approve a seven-month paid parking pilot program for a new downtown parking deck that will add nearly 400 spaces. The city had originally planned for the deck to be free for Roswell residents, but determining who qualifies as a resident was deemed too complicated. Under the pilot, the deck will be free on weekdays from 8am to 4pm, but paid on nights and weekends. The city also plans to implement paid parking on several other downtown streets as part of the pilot.

Why it matters

The new parking deck is expected to be a major draw for downtown Roswell, but the decision to charge for parking has disappointed some residents who were expecting free access. The pilot program aims to help the city understand parking demand and potentially recover operating costs, but it could also impact local businesses and visitors to the area.

The details

Roswell's new downtown parking deck is currently under construction and will add just under 400 new spaces when it opens. Originally, the city had planned for the deck to be free for Roswell residents, but determining who qualifies as a resident proved too complicated. Instead, the city has approved a seven-month paid parking pilot program that will run from May through December 2026. Under the pilot, the deck will be free for parking on weekdays from 8am to 4pm, but paid on nights and weekends. The city also plans to implement paid parking on Canton Street, Elizabeth Way, and East Alley during the pilot period, with no free on-street parking in those areas.

  • The new downtown parking deck is currently under construction.
  • The paid parking pilot program will run from May through December 2026.
  • The deck is expected to open sometime before the pilot program begins.

The players

Roswell City Council

The governing body of the city of Roswell, Georgia that voted 4-2 to approve the paid parking pilot program.

Imani Lusega McLendon

The general manager of Fellows Cafe, a business located near the new downtown parking deck.

Jeff Leatherman

The Deputy City Administrator of Roswell who explained the city's rationale for the paid parking pilot program.

Debbie Pernice

A Roswell resident who expressed disappointment about having to pay to park in the new downtown deck.

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What they’re saying

“That's going to be the biggest deck in this area, so why would that not be free for others to come and stay and visit?”

— Imani Lusega McLendon, General Manager, Fellows Cafe

“Maybe it wasn't intended to be free, but that was the overall impression for sure, so it's very disheartening to find out now that we'll have to pay.”

— Debbie Pernice, Roswell Resident

“We want to understand in different models, whether it be a free or a paid model, what the utilization rate is and how we potentially recover some of our operating costs to operate the deck throughout the city.”

— Jeff Leatherman, Deputy City Administrator, Roswell

What’s next

The paid parking pilot program will begin in May 2026 and run through the end of the year, after which the city will evaluate the results and determine if the paid parking model should be continued.

The takeaway

The decision to implement paid parking in Roswell's new downtown parking deck, despite initial plans for it to be free for residents, highlights the challenges cities face in balancing the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors when it comes to public infrastructure. The pilot program will provide valuable data to help Roswell find the right approach, but it may also test the patience of some community members in the meantime.