Free parking for Beach Cruise cars

Annual event, coming June 23-25 this year, typically attracts about 700 entrants

Entrants in this year’s Peach City Beach Cruise car show will enjoy the added pleasure of parking for free in any city-owned lot during the three-day event.

Council approved the request Tuesday by a 4-2 vote — Tarik Sayeed is away on unpaid leave for the provincial election — with those in opposition balking at seemingly unfair treatment for other events.

Peach Cruise president Wayne Wood sent council a letter asking that entrants be granted free parking in paid lots June 23-25 so visitors to the city will “leave with a positive impression.”

The annual event typically draws about 700 entrants and is already set to receive an in-kind grant from the city worth $7,000 that was approved at budget time earlier this year.

Couns. Helena Konanz and Andre Martin both pointed out that organizers of an annual bridge tournament also asked for free parking for players, but their request was rejected during budget deliberations.

“Why are these (Beach Cruise entrants) special versus the bridge club participants? I’m not sure,” said Martin.

Konanz added that she feared granting the request would prompt other event organizers, like the ones behind the Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival, to ask for the same treatment.

“Are we going to allow anyone who’s dressed like Elvis free parking that weekend? Because that would be a pretty good awe factor, too,” said Konanz.

Coun. Campbell Watt noted, however, that the cars are the stars of the Beach Cruise.

“We wouldn’t give an Elvis impersonator free parking because he’s not parking (himself) in a parking spot,” said Watt, adding that until the city has a more comprehensive grant-vetting process in place, “it’s our job to look at these on a one-off basis.”

Mayor Andrew Jakubeit pointed out that the cars will be parked for most of the show along Lakeshore Drive and it will likely only be in the evenings that they’ll be moved elsewhere.