Members of the City Council Finance Committee heard from residents and from the Parking Authority regarding financial projections and bond issue for the city’s parking garages, both current and planned.

Committee chair Bryan Callahan and council members Adam Waldron and Shawn Martell were joined by council member Michael Colon and Council President J. William Reynolds.

Callahan explained that the meeting was for information only and said a public meeting with the Parking Authority would be scheduled before the council votes on a proposed new parking deck at Third and New streets for first reading on April 19. Second reading for the proposal will be held May 3.

Resident Peter Crownfield said the proposed parking deck would be a “completely inappropriate use of this much taxpayer money.” He said a traffic impact study already showed a problem on the Southside and “adding to it will not help.” Crownfield said the proposed building and parking deck are “ridiculously unplanned development.”

Lehigh University Professor Al Wurth said building a parking garage with city funds was not financially efficient. “If you want to subsidize, just subsidize. You could just hand money out,” he said.

Jane George, St. Luke’s University Health Network vice president of government relations, said St. Luke’s would potentially occupy about 21,000 square feet of space for outpatient rehabilitation in the proposed building. The parking garage would be very important for patients undergoing physical rehabilitation, some of them seniors and many with limited mobility, she said.

Adrienne Washington, assistant vice president of community and regional affairs at Lehigh University, said the University is “committed to development of South Bethlehem.”

She said the proposed building at Third and New would house about 130 Lehigh University employees. The university’s Advancement office also plans to bring additional people into South Bethlehem, moving about 30 employees into the Flatiron Building, “It is our goal to support the revitalization of South Bethlehem,” Washington said.

Mayor Bob Donchez also said, “I support the garage.”

Community and Economic Development Director Alicia Karner said, “South Bethlehem needs the parking deck for a variety of reasons.” For visitors to the area, parking is the first and last impression, Karner said. “Convenient, plentiful and easily accessible parking is crucial,” she said.