Desenzano to Introduce Paid Parking Amid Resident and Worker Concerns
Free parking farewell for motorists in Desenzano. In just a few days, the entire parking network of the historic center and lakeside promenade will begin charging hourly fees. Installation of the parking meters has already started, and they are expected to be operational by the end of the month. The municipal administration, led by Mayor Cino Anelli, has not yet set the parking rates. However, residents and workers employed in businesses and companies in the center are in upheaval because they will almost certainly have to pay several thousand lire per day to park their vehicles. The Comune has already allocated nearly 90 million lire for the purchase and installation of the parking meters. The parking areas affected by the upcoming charges include: Piazza Feltrinelli, Piazza Cappelletti, Lungolago Anelli, Maratona parking lot (adjacent to Navigarda), and Maratona parking near the Fraglia Vela headquarters. The other large parking lot in front of the library and Cariplo will presumably remain free. Rino Polloni, representative of the Lega Nord, has formally requested that the mayor introduce concessions for residents, similar to what is in place in Sirmione, where residents possess a pass allowing free parking in the “Monte Baldo” area.
Requests for discounts and parking rates
“The historic center of Desenzano is already disadvantaged,” notes Polloni, “due to the limited number of parking spaces. Now, with the redevelopment of the lakeside promenade between the Ponte alla Veneziana and the Park Hotel, even more parking will be lost. Therefore, I have asked the mayor to introduce immediate exemptions through the issuance of cards or identification stickers for residents of our municipality, enabling them to park for free, specifically in the areas recently subject to hourly charges.” And what about workers in offices and shops? “I also requested immediate significant concessions for them,” the councilor from Lega Nord adds.
Current management and parking rates
Currently, Desenzano’s parking lots are managed by cooperatives. Prices vary from one lot to another. For example, in the lot behind Palazzo Bagatta, the rate is 500 lire per half-hour, but in the Piazza Cappelletti lot, it is 1000 lire. On weekends, the rate can rise to 3000 lire per hour. The Anelli administration approved the establishment of new paid parking lots on December 29. Historically, the lakefront town was one of the few, if not the only, to impose no charges on motorists parking in the historic center and lakeside promenade. In Sirmione, for instance, there is no stretch of road more untouched by the ticket: the entire lakeside and Monte Baldo square, up to Porto square.
Revenue forecasts and future of parking facilities
The revenue from parking fees reaches substantial levels, sometimes nearing 3 billion lire annually. For Desenzano, the total revenue will be lower due to fewer parking spaces. Nevertheless, the Councillor for Budget, Mario Marchioni, expects to collect at least 1.7 billion lire. These revenues could be reinvested in other sectors, such as social services. In the meantime, to better plan the town’s future, the urban traffic plan is awaited, which will clarify whether and how many new parking areas—especially necessary for tourists—will be designed.