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No Parking: Valet Stands Stir Debate Over Access to Curb Spots


Grove business owners believe valet parking attracts well-heeled customers, but some residents bemoan the loss of coveted on-street parking.

Valet parking stand on Main Highway

3 Comments

  1. The Parking issue also affects residents with disabilities. Some people cannot walk very far, others, like me, have a compromised immune system and can’t have a Valet drive my car for fear that the previous car owner has Covid or any illness that can be passed on. The closing of Fuller Street, for no apparant useful purpose, also took away 16 very convenient parking spaces, but most of all it cut off a MAJOR artery in the Grove by forcing people to go all the way down Grand to Mary to circle around to find a parking space. This has got to hurt the center businesses since it provided quick parking to go into many of the stores during the day. Why can’t it be open all week (every time I pass by it is totally deserted) and have the sign turned to block the street after 9 pm on Friday and Saturday nights? If it had proved to be a “plaza similar to Giralda in the Gables” this closure would make sense but that concept failed miserably!!! I am very disappointed to learn that the MPA and the BID are using capitalistic reasoning for the lack of spaces instead of being empathetic and caring about residents that have physical imparments and need these spaces as well as shoppers that just want to spend money in the retails stores in the Grove.

  2. I am always curious where valet services actually park the cars and how safe they are. There
    was a time when they purposely “forgot” to lock the cars. When u get in your car you don’t check the glove compartment or the trunk. I realize you shouldn’t leave valuables in your car but even a charger could be missing and you wouldn’t know until you need it.
    We should have door to door Freebee for everyone over 18 yrs old just like the Gables, Pinecrest and Key Biscayne.

  3. Excellent article, much needed. Yes, the situation is fraught. Two suggestions: (1) I agree that we have too many valet parking spaces which remove curbside public parking spots.
    Also we should provide attended bicycle valet parking with discounts to people who bike to Grove businesses. Make sure that all valet parking revenues collected in Coconut Grove are used to improve the Grove’s business environment.

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